Fox’s Bartiromo to DNC chairman: ‘Your party has been hijacked by the extreme left’

Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo during a heated exchange with Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Tom Perez on Wednesday said the Democratic Party “has been hijacked by the extreme left.”

“Maria, I understand that when the Democrats win, as they did across the board last night, that you would like to focus on other things,” Perez said to Bartiromo at the start of the “Mornings with Maria” interview, referring to big gubernatorial victories on Tuesday in Virginia and New Jersey.

After some crosstalk, Bartiromo broached revelations by former interim DNC Chairwoman Donna Brazile, who in a new book wrote that she discovered evidence that she said showed Hillary Clinton’s campaign “rigged” the Democratic presidential primary.

{mosads}“Does somebody owe Bernie Sanders a phone call, since now we know what took place, and everything was rigged, and you were behind Hillary Clinton when in fact [Sanders] could have fairly gotten the nomination and didn’t?” she asked, referring to Clinton’s rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

“Maria, I don’t know if this is a lecture or a Q&A. You tell me. I thought this was supposed be, but it’s not,” Perez shot back while pointing to Clinton’s 4 million vote margin over Sanders in the primary.

Bartiromo also pressed Perez on why the DNC did not allow the CIA and FBI to analyze its computer files in an attempt to determine how they may have been hacked.

“Maria, you are in a fictional wonderland right now,” Perez said in response.

“That’s not fiction, Tom. It’s all fact!” Bartiromo shot back.

Perez then pivoted back to Democratic successes in Tuesday’s elections, citing the victories as a sign voters embraced the Democrats’ vision.

“What’s the vision? I haven’t heard a vision!” Bartiromo shouted back. “Your party has been hijacked by the extreme left, Barack Obama, [Sen.] Elizabeth Warren [D-Mass.]. C’mon, what’s the vision Tom?”

Perez cited universal health care, education for all and reduced taxes for lower income workers as key elements of his party’s vision.

“The vision is an America in which people have access to health care as a right for all, and not a privilege for a few,” Perez replied.

“A vision in which where everybody in every ZIP code can get quality education. A vision where good jobs are available everywhere. A vision in which we don’t do tax bills that are just giveaways for people who already have enough,” he added before the two engaged in more crosstalk.

“Tom, your party was in charge for eight years. There wasn’t even an approach at lower taxes and creating an environment so people would create jobs. You know this,” Bartiromo said before the two talked over each other and the interview ended.

Perez became head of the DNC in February, replacing Brazile.