The Sunday tradition of dispatching Trump defenders to cable news seemed notably strained this week, as reports of additional whistleblowers in the Ukraine scandal and damning leaks continue to mount. One such defender nonetheless provided a hall-of-fame meltdown on Meet the Press Sunday, as Wisconsin GOP senator Ron Johnson dodged Ukraine questions for a solid 10 minutes, and disavowed any trust in the FBI or CIA.

The melee began when host Chuck Todd asked Johnson about a report last week that he’d “winced” at suggestions President Trump deliberately withheld Ukraininan aid money to facilitate president Volodymr Zelensky launching investigations into the 2016 election. According to the Wall Street Journal, Johnson said, “Oh God. I don’t want to see those two things combined.” Rather than defend his statement, Johnson immediately began to recite a list of Trump’s many grievances with the media. He then invoked common Trump targets Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, ostensibly comparing a mention of Ukraine in the former FBI agents’ texts to the current scandal with Zelensky.

Confused and somewhat resigned, Todd attempted to cut in. “Why Fox News conspiracy propaganda stuff is popping up on here, I have no idea,” the anchor said.

Eventually Johnson did circle back to Todd’s inquiry, adding that to him, Trump “completely,” “adamantly,” “vehemently, [and] angrily” denied the claim that Ukrainian aid was withheld over an investigation and he instead sought answers for Ukraine’s alleged interference in the 2016 election. “Ukrainian officials reportedly helped Clinton allies research damaging information on Trump and his advisers,” Johnson claimed, ignoring Todd’s attempts to redirect the conversation. “There is potential interference in the 2016 campaign. That’s what Trump wants to get to the bottom of. But the press doesn’t want to,” the senator said.

When Todd asked whether Johnson believed FBI and CIA conclusions that Russia interfered in the election, Johnson replied that he “absolutely” believed in Russian meddling, but was less trusting of the agencies themselves due to “unanswered” questions about their role in the Ukraine scandal. “So do you not trust the FBI? Do you not trust the CIA?” Todd asked. “No, no, I don’t,” Johnson fired back, clarifying he neither trusted them presently, nor under Barack Obama. “Absolutely not. After Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, after James Comey?!”

Exasperated at the apparent strategy of ignoring Trump’s Ukraine call in favor of “politically comfortable” attack lines on the 2016 election, Democrats and the media, Todd cut the interview short. “I’m sorry that you chose to come on this way, senator,” he closed over a still-fuming Johnson.

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