New Republic Senior Editor Julia Ioffe wrote a stinging rebuke Thursday to MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell, who she characterized as “an angry grandpa” that “interrupted and harangued and mansplained” to her when she challenged his view of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ioffe, who previously worked as a correspondent based in Moscow, was invited on “The Last Word” Wednesday to weigh in on President Barack Obama and Putin’s cancelled summit but was interrupted once she challenged the host’s perception of Putin’s involvement in the Edward Snowden case.
“Julia, Julia, Julia,” O’Donnell interrupted at one point, “You aren’t seriously suggesting that Vladimir Putin and the Russian government did not have complete, total, absolute control over the outcome of Edward Snowden entering that airport in Moscow?”
“I think you do overestimate the Russians,” Ioffe responded. “I think in general people who haven’t been to Russia tend to overestimate their abilities.”
O’Donnell continued to stall on Ioffe’s points, prompting her to ask: “Have you reported out of Russia?”
“The problem is that this was not in the ranting comments section, but was coming from the host of a prime time, national television show. And if you don’t have the good sense and education or, hell, the reporting experience to know better, then just let the guests you invited on speak,” Ioffe wrote in her response. “Otherwise, don’t waste my fucking evening.”
Watch the segment, courtesy of MSNBC:
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