National Public Radio host Diane Rehm berated Democratic presidential candidate and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley on-air on Tuesday because he was late for an in-person interview and instead phoned into her show.
“Gov. O’Malley, I must say I’m somewhat surprised that you could not make it here in time as you had promised to,” Rehm told her guest.
“Well Diane, you can’t believe every promise every politician makes,” O’Malley said, trying to laugh off the incident.
“I sincerely apologize,” O’Malley said. “I am on Military Road right now and we are following all of the applicable rules of the road, but we do not control the traffic accidents. I should have left even earlier.”
“Yeah. Absolutely,” Rehm said.
“Well, I am disappointed because, as you know, it’s a national interview on NPR and I do expect guests to live up to their promises,” she said.
Rehm eventually began asking questions.
The first one?
“Why enter a race when the odds are so stacked against you?”
It’s not the first time Rehm has made headlines for her interactions with the 2016 Democratic presidential candidates. In June, she repeatedly asked Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) whether he was a dual citizen of Israel and the U.S. during his appearance. She later said the question was based on “Internet speculation.”
Listen to the full interview with O’Mally here.
