Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, one of President-elect Donald Trump's candidates to serve as secretary of State, said Wednesday an American reporter is biased in her view of Russia because she was born there.
The California Republican and anchor Bianna Golodryga had a tense exchange on "Yahoo News Now."
"You talk about human rights abusers in China, much can be said for Russia as well," Golodryga said.
"Oh, baloney," Rohrabacher retorted. "Where do you come from?"
"I come from the former Soviet Union, that's where I come from. I came here as a political refugee," the anchor replied.
"Oh that's good, now the audience knows you're biased," Rohrabacher said.
"I'm biased because I'm an American citizen who was born in a foreign country?"
"Yeah," Rohrabacher said.
The discussion then briefly turned to China and the alleged human rights violations that have occurred there. Rohrabacher said Golodryga was wrong to suggest that Russia and China are one in the same in this regard.
"Russia isn't accused of murdering journalists?" she said.
Replied Rohrabacher, "OK, look. I'll let the public decide about that last comment, where you're coming from."
Rohrabacher is one of several people in line to lead the Department of State during Trump's administration. The real estate mogul has expressed a desire to work with Russia and grow America and its former Cold War enemy closer after eight years of Democratic party rule under President Barack Obama.
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