'What Does This Have To Do With The U.S.?': Kari Lake Gets Fed Up Quickly With Jayapal's Questioning

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At today's House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) confronted Voice of America Director Kari Lake.

Transcript

00:00Ms. Jayapal from Washington for five minutes.

00:03Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for being here, Ms. Lake.

00:06The U.S. Agency for Global Media is tasked with providing unbiased news worldwide to over 427 million listeners,

00:14many of whom live in countries without freedom of press or freedom of the speech.

00:19And it is your job to promote the American ideals of freedom and democracy.

00:24So I wanted to start just by confirming, do you support democracy or authoritarianism?

00:31I think that's pretty obvious. I support freedom and democracy.

00:34Democracy. Great. Would you agree that accepting the results of a fair and free election are critical to a functioning democracy?

00:43Would you agree that standing up and cheering for a cancer survivor would have been a nice thing to do?

00:48Ms. Lake, this is my time.

00:49Would you accept that accepting the results of a free and fair election are critical to a functioning democracy?

00:58It's a yes or no question.

00:59Do you think it's essential for a democracy to have a free and fair election?

01:03We need free and fair elections.

01:04Free and fair elections. Great. Thank you so much.

01:06And yet you have, to this day, refused to acknowledge that President Trump lost the 2020 election,

01:13something that even members of President Trump's own Justice Department have admitted and multiple lawsuits have shown.

01:20And we heard my colleague from Arizona talk about what happened in Arizona.

01:25So it concerns me that you are now tasked with this responsibility of ensuring democracy around the world

01:34when you won't even accept a free and fair election.

01:36I'm also concerned by your ability to promote the American ideals of freedom and democracy,

01:41given your record defending and praising dictators.

01:46Let's look at Hungary.

01:48You previously stated that Hungary is, quote, doing it right,

01:52and that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was, quote, the greatest in America, greatest in caps,

02:00and, quote, and equal to President Trump.

02:03Do you stand by those statements?

02:04I think that Viktor Orban has done a very good job at protecting his people

02:08and protecting the Hungarian culture.

02:11And so, I think if you ask people in Europe, other parts of Europe,

02:14The question here is very simple.

02:16They would be wishing that their leaders stood up for their people.

02:18Is Viktor Orban the greatest in Europe? Yes or no?

02:21I think he's done the best job in Europe, yes.

02:23Okay. And so, even Secretary Rubio acknowledged in a 2019 letter

02:29that under Orban, Hungary took a downward democratic trajectory.

02:34And yet, you insist that Hungary is doing it right.

02:37I want to cover some of the policies that Mr. Orban is responsible for.

02:42Would you consider banning LGBTQ pride parades like Viktor Orban has done in Hungary as doing it right?

02:48Recognizing that pride parades are protected under the First Amendment?

02:52What does this have to do with the U.S. agency for global media?

02:54I'm asking you whether you support the policies of dictators and authoritarians

02:58or whether you support democracy.

03:00You have said that Viktor Orban is the greatest in Europe.

03:04So, do you think that Viktor Orban is doing it right when he bans pride parades?

03:08I think Viktor Orban has put the people of his country first.

03:11So, the answer is yes, you think it's appropriate that he's banning pride parades

03:15and using facial recognition technology to actually profile people that go to those parades?

03:21How about the fact that Orban and his party control 80% of Hungary's media market?

03:28Are we here talking about Hungary?

03:30Yes, we are.

03:31Because guess what?

03:32Your agency actually is responsible for other countries and unbiased news.

03:37Hungary is an ally.

03:37Can I remind you that Hungary is an ally of America?

03:40Oh, and so you think that it's okay that Viktor Orban, the greatest in Europe, according to you,

03:46controls 80% of Hungary's media market?

03:48Is that level, free, and fair reporting?

03:53You obviously don't like our ally, Hungary.

03:56I think that the people have voted for him and the people of Hungary will decide.

03:59I'm asking you if you think that it's appropriate, Ms. Lake, it is my time.

04:01I'm asking you if it is appropriate that a country, Viktor Orban's government, controls 80% of Hungary's media market.

04:10It's just a yes or a no.

04:12Do you think that's okay?

04:13I think he's the greatest of all time?

04:14I don't have an opinion on what Viktor Orban is doing in Hungary.

04:18Okay.

04:18It's not up for debate.

04:18Other than I know he puts his people first.

04:20It's a fact that has been documented by numerous organizations.

04:22Why do?

04:22Can you tell me where that fact comes from?

04:24Excuse me, Ms. Lake, I'm sorry to remind you, you are not a governor.

04:30You're not even a candidate for governor.

04:32You're here, and this is my time.

04:34Not only have you supported dictators that have supported policies that erode democracy,

04:38you also spread claims promoted by Russian state media that the Pentagon was funding bioweapon labs in Ukraine.

04:46These claims have been proven resoundingly false, even by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

04:52Do you still stand by that prior statement?

04:54I know that many members of Congress care more about funding Ukraine.

04:58Do you stand by that statement, which is clearly a lie?

05:02I know that you voted.

05:04You are responsible for an agency that is supposed to promote truth, and yet, over and over again,

05:09you are promoting dictators and authoritarians and lies.

05:12So I am asking you if you stand by the statement that you made that was promoted by Russian state media

05:19that the Pentagon was funding bioweapon labs in Ukraine.

05:23Proven false by Marco Rubio.

05:25Do you stand by that statement?

05:26I understand you're trying to get a fundraising video here.

05:29Okay.

05:30Well, you clearly don't understand that you are actually here before Congress.

05:34Time has expired.

05:35Before Congress.

05:36Mr. Chairman, I just want to say that.

05:37You had more than enough time.

05:39I gave you a few extra seconds.

05:40I understand.

05:40And your time has expired.

05:41And I now recognize Representative Davidson.

05:43Ms. Lake is not responding to the questions.

05:45Can I have just one second to respond?

05:47Because who is going to be speaking next?

05:50Representative Davidson is next.

05:52Oh, may I have just one second to respond to that?

05:55Obviously, from some of the questions we're hearing from the Democrats,

05:58they care more about a lot of other countries than America.

06:00And we've seen that.

06:01And we've seen that.

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