A defiant CBS News White House correspondent Major Garrett is standing by his question to President Obama at yesterday’s news conference in which he asked the president if he was “content” that four Americans are being held in Iran, while he was celebrating the Iran nuclear deal.
On CBS This Morning, Charlie Rose asked Garrett if he had “second thoughts” about the phrasing of his question.
“No,” Garrett shot back. “I asked the question I asked, and I can’t take it back. What I wanted to drive at, aggressively, was why in a context where the president conceded many times in that press conference that choices had to be made, and priorities had to be established, these four Americans were not prioritezed in the context of the Iran deal. I believe that’s an important question on behalf of these four families.
Personally, Charlie, I’ve done a lot of soul searching about whether I’ve been aggressive enough as a reporter on behalf of hostages who are Americans overseas.”
Gayle King asked Garrett if he got an answer to his question, which he didn’t quite answer himself:
“The great thing, Gayle, about America and a free press and an accountable political class, is I get to ask questions, it’s a huge responsibility. I am perhaps an imperfect articulator of those questions. But I ask them. Politicians give me answers and the public, as they have in the last 24 hours, can pick apart every part of the question and the answer.”