Republican senator calls Indian-American CNN reporter ‘liberal hack,’ refuses to answer impeachment question

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WASHINGTON – It was just another day at the office for CNN senior congressional respondent Manu Raju that entailed him walking the halls of power and chasing down politicians.

Thursday morning was a newsworthy day. The Senate was receiving articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, and Republicans were seeing new materials released by House Democrats Wednesday evening that appear to show the president was aware that his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, was carrying out a shadow Ukraine campaign that could politically benefit him.

Raju wanted to talk about the new information. Standing in the halls of Capitol Hill, he waited for officials to pass by so he could ask for their comments on the documents.

Sen. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., didn’t want to answer Raju’s question.

The senator walked down a hallway with members of her team when Raju asked her if the Senate should consider the new evidence as part of the impeachment trial.

“Manu, you’re a liberal hack. I’m not talking to you,” she replied.

“You’re not going to comment, Senator, about this,” Raju pressed.

McSally slipped into a hearing room, leaving Raju with a question that was later answered by Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga.

“It’s a key question,” Raju said, explaining that the president’s defense team could object to any new evidence throughout the course of the Senate impeachment trial and enforce a ruling by the chief justice about use of new evidence. “Another senator didn’t want to talk about it, clearly.”

Comments about the clip of his interaction with McSally were flooded with praise of the senator’s quip, as well as others cheering Raju on for doing his job.

McSally was endorsed by Trump in June for her Senate race this year, where she’s facing a strong Democratic effort to take her spot.

The first U.S. Air Force woman to fly in combat will battle for the seat with Democrat and former astronaut Mark Kelly, who has been outraising her on the campaign trail, according to Center for Responsive Politics data.