Massie, CNN anchor battle over Israel, antisemitism resolution: ‘If you’d done a little more research’

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) got into an argument Friday with CNN anchor Kate Bolduan over her preparedness for an interview on Israel legislation.

The two went back and forth about a resolution that Massie voted against in November that affirmed Israel’s right to exist as an independent state.

The tension started when Bolduan asked Massie if Israel had a right to exist. While quickly acknowledging that, Massie also said he didn’t vote on resolutions based on their titles. Bolduan emphasized the question wasn’t “a gotcha” and said she knows Massie can respect “how serious I am about the research I do on these things.”

The conversation went on, with a disagreement starting over the name of the resolution versus the wording in it.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) speaks during a House Rules Committee meeting to discuss the Fiscal Responsibility Act at the Capitol on Tuesday, May 30, 2023. (Tierney L. Cross)

“Congratulations, you’re able to read the name of the resolution; I don’t vote on the names,” Massie said.

“Oh, congressman, I don’t think you wanna — I don’t think you’re trying to question my intelligence, now, are you?” Bolduan asked Massie.

“No, I’m just saying that you don’t have time to prepare for this like I did,” Massie responded.

The interview continued, and Massie told Bolduan that if she had “done a little more research, you wouldn’t have to ask me if I acknowledged Israel’s right to exist.”

Bolduan ended the interview by saying, she doesn’t appreciate “when someone even suggests or insinuates that I’m not prepared.”

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Massie replied, saying that Bolduan didn’t “have time to do the research that I’ve done.”

Massie was a lone “no” vote on a resolution back in November on Israel’s right to exist. He said he opposed the resolution because “because it equates anti-Zionism with antisemitism.” 

“Antisemitism is deplorable, but expanding it to include criticism of Israel is not helpful,” the Kentucky congressman later added in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

In a post on X, Massie went after Bouldan again over the interview.

“Kate claims she spent a whopping 2 minutes reading a bill to prepare for this interview. If true, that’s two minutes more than Nikki Haley ever spent trying to understand this issue,” Massie, a supporter of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, said in his post.