It hasn't been a good day for CNN. First, Kevin O'Leary delivered one of the best takedowns of Letitia James' laughable civil suit against Trump, and now Rep. Thomas Massie has made host Kate Bolduan very, very upset. 

Things started mundane enough, with Massie explaining why he doesn't support Speaker Mike Johnson's spending deal with Sen. Chuck Schumer. From there, she asked him a few questions about his support for Gov. Ron DeSantis. It was when she brought up Massie's vote against a pro-Israel resolution that things got spicy. 

Massie: Congratulations, you’re able to read the name

Bolduan: I don’t think you’re trying to question my intelligence, are you?

Massie: You don’t have time to prepare for this like I did

Bolduan: Do you mean the two pages that I read in two minutes?! pic.twitter.com/R4f8EyfQcH

— Acyn (@Acyn) January 12, 2024

MASSIE: I'll take the heat, but I'll also talk about what's in that resolution. 

BOLDUAN: Recognizing that denying Israel's right to exist is a form of antisemitism

MASSIE: That's the name of, that's the name of the resolution. 

BOLDUAN: You do not support, you do not support that? 

MASSIE: Congratulations.

BOLDUAN: I'm not reading the name of the resolution 

MASSIE: Congratulations, you are able to read the name of the resolution. I don't vote on the names. 

BOLDUAN: Ooo, Congressman, I don't think you want, I don't think you're trying to question my intelligence, now are you? 

MASSIE: No, I'm just saying that you don't have time to prepare for this like I did.

BOLDUAN: Do you mean the two pages that I read in two minutes this morning and highlighted the resolved that the House of Represenatives. 

MASSIE: Good for you, you took two minutes.

That wasn't the end of it, but it's important to stop here and talk about what kind of politician Massie is. Namely, he's a libertarian, and he's a very devout one at that. It doesn't matter what you shove in front of him and try to shame him into voting for; he's simply not going to vote for certain things based on the principles he holds. That includes pretty much anything related to foreign aid or foreign wars.

SEE: Thomas Massie Roasts Lawmakers Who Voted in Favor of Mandating a Kill Switch in Every Vehicle

People don't have to agree with his views or how he formulates his votes, but no one should be questioning his motives. He has a long track record showing that they are not based on any type of bigotry but on a very rigid ideology. Bolduan was trying to suggest otherwise.

In this case, because Massie is an extremely strong free speech proponent (remember, he's a libertarian), he felt the resolution didn't make a proper distinction between anti-Zionism and being antisemitic. In my opinion, there isn't much of a distinction in practice, so I disagree with the congressman's decision. Yet, I understand and respect how he came to that decision. 

The back and forth wasn't over at that point. Bolduan ended the interview wearing her anger on her sleeve. 

MASSIE: I enjoy this dialogue. I hope I get to come back on and talk about what's in these bills again.

BOLDUAN: In these resolutions, and in these statements made by Congress, and in this resolution where everyone but you voted against, voted in support of, I'm happy to have you on any time to discuss and will continue to do my research, and do not appreciate when someone even suggests or insinuates that I'm not prepared. 

Frankly, I find Bolduan's comments to be pretentious. She's a woman who reads a teleprompter for a living. That teleprompter is filled with words mostly written by other people. She and her producers decided to try to attack Massie over a vote on a resolution she admits she only spent two minutes reading, and he responded in kind. Yet, Bolduan played the victim throughout the exchange. 

CNN doesn't hold back any punches against Republicans. They should expect to receive some back from time to time. Whining about it on air just makes Bolduan and her network look weak.