Between falling into disfavor with President Trump and one of its founders being caught off guard in an interview on MSNBC, it looks like it’s going to be a rough week for the Freedom Caucus.
Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, who appeared Tuesday on “Morning Joe” to discuss President Trump’s failed healthcare bill, was asked first to explain why he opposes efforts by the federal government to get involved in paid family leave.
The problem with the interview is that paid family leave is MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski’s pet issue, and Labrador was not prepared for the question.
It didn’t go well for him.
“Well I just do think it’s the government’s role to give business more things to do and to pay for it. That is something that a business should decide and it’s not for the government to be telling people about that,” the congressman said.
Brzezinski’s followed up with: “Do you think you would like to have paid family leave in your family? Do you think that would be important to perhaps your family moving forward in the best way possible?”
“It should be up to the businesses,” Labrador reiterated, noting that he provided his employees with paid time off for their families when he ran a business.
“So you gave paid family leave in your company?” asked the cable news host.
“I gave leave,” said Labrador.
“You gave leave but not paid?” Brzezinski asked.
“No. Yes. I paid for it, I just didn’t have — I don’t know what your definition of paid family leave,” Labrador started to say.
Brzezinski’s quipped, “Well, that would be you take leave and you’re paid during that … leave.”
Labrador repeated his initial point: That he simply doesn’t want the government to force businesses to spend more.
“So your company gave paid family leave?” Brzezinski persisted.
“We gave paid vacations,” the congressman said.
“Paid vacations. That is different,” Brzezinski said.
“We gave paid insurance. We gave a lot of benefits and it should be up to the businesses to decide whether you do that now,” Labrador said, his struggle with the conversation now fully apparent.
“You didn’t think it was a responsibility of your company to give paid family leave?” Brzezinski asked.
This is where Labrador rhetorically threw up his hands, and excused himself from the line of questioning.
“I – you know, Mika, you and I disagree on this issue and we can go around and around on it and don’t think that’s what I came to this show to do. To talk about this issue. That’s not what you guys invited me to do – to be on this show for,” he said.
“I think it’s very pertinent to the healthcare bill, and to everything we’re talking about,” Brzezinski said.
“It has nothing to do with the healthcare bill,” said Labrador.
“Paid family leave is — many Americans would say is something we need to focus on, especially women who work. And so it’s curious … it’s not something that you feel is the responsibility for your employees for you to give them?” she asked.
“Mika, I’m not going to talk to you about this. It’s not what I came on the show for, I thought we were going to talk about the healthcare bill and not about this issue,” Labrador said.
And that was that.
It’s one thing to deflect questions if you feel your interviewer is not conducting the conversation in good faith. It’s one thing to decline to engage if you feel you’re being set up for a “gotcha” moment with a media personality.
It’s another thing entirely to struggle to explain a long-held position, and then refuse to expound on it when pressed. It’s not a good look.
