Appearing on MSNBC’s 11 a.m. ET hour on Friday, Republican North Dakota Congressman Kevin Cramer called out the “unhealthy obsession” the media have with accusations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, sending co-hosts Ali Velshi and Stephanie Ruhle into full freak-out mode. The liberal anchors dismissed the notion as “nonsense.”

After being grilled by Velshi on unnamed sources claiming that President Trump was looking into whether he could pardon himself with regard to the Russia investigation, Cramer responded: “These distractions are more interesting to the Washington press corps and to the New York press corps than they are to the people in the middle of America or here in North Dakota.” Ruhle asserted: “Congressman, hold on, not necessarily to Ali and I....it’s not the press corps. I would absolutely love to focus on the agenda, sir. The President isn’t.”

Cramer pushed back: “Listen, there’s an unhealthy obsession with all things Russian and all things the last election by plenty of people, largely in the press corps.” Velshi was enraged and refused to allow the lawmaker to continue: “I going to interrupt you, sir. It is not an unhealthy obsession. Do you believe that Russia interfered in the 2016 election?...How is that an unhealthy obsession?”

In reply, Cramer actually cited a recent Media Research Center study detailing the avalanche of Russia coverage featured on CNN’s New Day: “It’s an unhealthy obsession when 90% of a newscast is focused on that when there are plenty of other things going on.”

Despite Cramer not saying anything about MSNBC’s coverage specifically, Velshi was extremely defensive:

Sir, have you ever watched what we do?...Have you watched what we do? You know what Stephanie and I concentrate on, on a daily basis? We talk about tax reform, we talk about health care. Sir, you’re issuing Republican talking points right now. Can we have a conversation just from a legislator to journalists right now? Can we do that?

While it’s true that Velshi and Ruhle do take breaks from their Russia coverage to attack the Trump administration and Republicans on a whole host of other issues, the ongoing investigation is undisputedly a favorite topic of conversation on MSNBC. In fact, back in May, Velshi warned viewers: “It certainly feels like we’re in the opening stages of a devastating political chapter in American history. Evidence is mounting for the President’s meddling in the Russia probe.”

In March, he entertained left-wing Congresswoman Maxine Waters ranting that she wanted Trump to be impeached over the Russia allegations.

Minutes later in the contentious Friday exchange, Velshi made a point to blast Cramer one more time:

I’m going to ask our producers, Congressman, to send you links to all of the stuff that Stephanie and I have done on health care, on infrastructure, on American-made...minimum wage, on economic growth, please. So that you don’t go on anybody else’s TV and spout this nonsense about how the media is obsessed with Russia. We talk about a lot of stuff.

The biased interview was brought to viewers by Geico, Tylenol, and Joseph A. Bank.

Here are excerpts of the July 21 segment: