Senator David Perdue is facing brutal scrutiny for ducking debates, avoiding tough questions about his record, and hiding from Georgians. Last night, CNN blasted Perdue for “actively avoiding talking to the press in any way, shape or form” as he travels across Georgia, hosting events for “only a select group” and dodging questions about his record.
CNN’s Kyung Lah highlighted how Perdue has refused to speak with reporters across Georgia, instead choosing to sit down with right-wing outlets peddling conspiracy theories and lies. Lah tried on four separate occasions to ask Perdue why he’s refusing to debate his opponent and was repeatedly ignored and physically blocked by Perdue’s staff from talking to him. Perdue has already come under fire for being replaced by an empty podium at this weekend’s debate. But with a record like his, it’s no wonder Perdue is afraid to face questions about his stock trading scandals and his crusade to take away Georgians’ health care in the middle of a pandemic.
CNN’s Erin Burnett: “And as all eyes are on these hotly contested Senate races, one Republican incumbent defending his Senate seat is actively avoiding talking to the press in any way, shape or form. Kyung Lah is out front:
CNN’s Kyung Lah: The only debate night for the Georgia Senate runoffs began like this…
Voiceover: Senator Perdue declined to participate in this debate and is represented by an empty podium.
Lah: It’s not that Republican incumbent Senator David Perdue hasn’t been campaigning. This is Senator Perdue’s bus tour across Georgia. Like most of Perdue’s events, he didn’t post this on his public schedule. We found out because Perdue’s guest, Representative Dan Crenshaw, tweeted this, then quickly deleted it. The Senator took pictures with supporters who waited to meet him. As for us?
Senator, will you take a minute? Senator, Senator, Senator Perdue? Senator?
Lah: Perdue’s staff told us he would not take any questions. That was stop one of the Senator’s bus tour. At stop two, Senator Perdue delivered his planned speech, and I talked to a staffer.
Excuse me, hey, I’m with CNN…
Staffer: Yep.
Lah: …and could we just get a couple minutes with––
Staffer: We’ll see how the timing goes.
Lah: Perdue took pictures and then ––
Senator? Senator? Senator? Hi, Senator. Senator? Senator? I’m Kyung Lah from CNN. Hey, hey, why don’t you debate, Senator?
Lah: When it comes to the general public, only a select group is invited. By contrast the Senator was eager to appear next to President Trump at his highly publicized, nearly fact-free Georgia rally.
Perdue: I want to take literally just one second.
Lah: As Perdue spoke, the crowd drowned him out, shouting support for President Trump.
Perdue: –– President Trump personally ––
Lah: Who was leveling baseless attacks against the voting system in Georgia.
Trump: They cheated us and they rigged our presidential election, but we will still win it.
Lah: But Perdue and fellow Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler need voters to use that system plus Republican enthusiasm. When Loeffler was asked this in her debate:
Greg Bluestein: Do you stand by his narrative that the election was rigged?
Lah: She did not directly answer.
Loeffler: And look, it’s vitally important that Georgians trust our election process and the president has every right to every legal recourse and that’s what’s taking place.
Lah: The Perdue campaign goes further in avoiding answers and avoiding nearly all media appearances.
Laura Ingraham: David Perdue. Senator, thank you for being here.
Lah: He did do this interview with Laura Ingraham on Fox News. Does that and skipping debates matter to his supporters?
Voter: To me personally it doesn’t because I know I’m going to vote for him. I already know his policies, I know what he’s said and I know exactly how he’s been voting in the Senate.
Speaker: I ask that you bless this election, that we will win Georgia.
Lah: Back on Senator Perdue’s bus tour, this is stop number three. I ask again:
Senator Perdue, Kyung Lah from CNN, can I just ask you a quick question?
Perdue: Thank you.
Lah: Sir? Sir?
And again:
Senator, can I get you to stop and answer a couple of questions about the debate?
We continue to the fourth and final stop.
Senator? Senator?
This isn’t just CNN — local TV stations, Atlanta’s largest paper says the Senator has ducked reporters across Georgia. Now, he did decide to sit down tonight with Newsmax. It is an outlet that actively engages in conspiracy theories and lies. It is a favorite of President Trump’s and the Senator tonight said that his Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff lost the debate even though the Senator is the one who didn’t show up.”
###
