This morning, CNN's Alisyn Camerota asked Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY) if refusing to clap for a president at the state of the union is, as Trump claims, treasonous.
"Well, no, I wouldn't use the word treasonous. Boy, was it embarrassing," Collins said.
"When Gutierrez stood up when the president said we should stand and respect our flag for pledge of allegiance, the national anthem, and those of us Republicans stood and cheered and started shouting 'USA! USA!; and Gutierrez storms out of the chamber, I think that says it all when it comes to the Democrat response. They were stoic, sitting on their hands. They did not want to applaud at any turn, other than Joe Manchin. Joe Manchin was applauding every which way, right with the Republicans. And we all know why. It was just a very partisan reaction. And I've sat through some of former President Obama's states, and we were --"
"How was that?" Camerota prodded.
"We were reserved, but I don't think quite to the extent that we saw," he said.
Fortunately, Camerota had some tape ready to roll. "All right. Let's just take a look at it. So here is how Republicans reacted when the President Obama had his addresses and state of the union."
OBAMA: Give small businesses the credit they need to stay afloat. [ cheers and applause ]. Each of these proposals deserves a vote in Congress. [ applause ]. Let a bipartisan bill do it.
"So Congressman, why wasn't that embarrassing, where you see John Boehner stone-faced there and you see the Republicans not applauding for the economy?" she said.
"Well, again, it's degrees. as I had already acknowledged, we did not overreact or did not stand and cheer with Obama anymore than they did. I guess it's degrees of it. I just said I believe the Democrat response was more subdued than ours with Obama," he said.
"It's hard to know how not applauding in both cases, one can be more subdued than the other, but of course there's this moment also with Joe Wilson. Let's remind you of this moment. Watch this," she said.
OBAMA: The reforms, the reforms i'm proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally.
JOE WILSON: You lie!
OBAMA: It's not true.
"That wasn't very subdued, Congressman," she said..
"No. In fact, you might get a chuckle. I suggested to Joe Wilson during President Trump's address that he should stand up and shout, 'Now, that's the truth,'" he said.
"Congressman, that's a funny line, but you seem to think that was not incredibly disrespectful. why are you more focused on Democrats not applauding?" she responded.
"Well, no. That was disrespectful and I would say it was an emotional response, much like Gutierrez storming out of the chamber. It is what it is. It was for the moment in time where Joe Wilson was reacting to something he thought was not truthful and Gutierrez was reacting to the president saying we should respect our flag," he said.
"You think 'you lie' is the same as walking out of a room?"
"I think walking out of the room when the crowd is chanting 'USA, USA' and you're an elected member of the Congress is very disrespectful to the chamber, it's disrespectful up and down and in the case of Joe Wilson, something just hit him that he was not hearing and it was an emotional response," he said.
"I see. So Joe Wilson's was an emotional response, but not Gutierrez. Thank you for your opinion on this, Congressman Chris Collins," Camerota concluded.
Nicely done! I'd love to see more of this from more anchors.
