Sen. Rand Paul Has Another Testy Interview

ABC News(WASHINGTON) — Republican Presidential candidate Sen. Rand Paul had another testy interview Friday, engaging on a new live-streaming platform for the first presidential candidate interview with The Guardian’s Paul Lewis on Periscope.

Prior to the interview, Lewis told viewers that he believed he had eight minutes to conduct the interview. The full interview lasted 4 minutes, 56 seconds.

“I’m going to try to push that a bit,” Lewis said. “Eight minutes seems a little bit stingy to me.”

The interview began normally, with Sen. Rand Paul launching on the attack against one of his presumptive Democratic rivals, Hillary Clinton. He then fielded five additional questions related to Paul’s aim to change racial discrimination in the justice system.

ON WALTER SCOTT:

“One of the reasons that I think federal politicians don’t like to weigh into specific cases is that’s sort of what grand juries are for, and there’s people who look at all the facts,” Paul said. “I have said and said it in multiple interviews yesterday that I was horrified by the video and from the appearance of the video it’s, you know, something that just shouldn’t, should never happen.”

After a couple of follow up questions, Lewis asked Paul for a specific law he would like to see repealed that disproportionately incarcerates African-Americans and Hispanics. But Paul’s answer was in generalities.

“The reference is primarily really to non-violent drug laws and when you look at the statistics of the war on drugs in our country, what you find is that there’s been a disproportionate impact on African Americans and Hispanics,” Paul answered. “And so when you look at broad surveys of whether or not, who uses illegal drugs among teenagers, it’s really about the same percentage of white kids as it is of black kids and Hispanic kids, but when you look at the prison population it turns out our prisons are full of poor people, and a disproportionate amount of African Americans, Hispanics, and so I think that is a real problem and I want to be part of the solution.”

THE MOMENT THE INTV FELL APART:

The reporter then pressed Paul for a specific law, and that’s when the interview seemed to turn sour.

“So that’s your answer, but I did ask specifically which law, which piece of legislation you would want repealed,” the reporter pressed. “Not in general terms but in specific bills.”

“We have a host of bills,” Paul said. “We’d love for you to learn about them.” Paul then began ticking off various measures to change various laws, when he stopped short when the reporter attempted to intercede.  

“Let me answer the question,” Paul said. “You complained I don’t answer the question.”

“I haven’t complained yet, have I senator?” Lewis responded.

“I’m giving you the specifics,” Paul said. “So here’s the thing is, we also have a civil forfeiture bill, we also have a voting rights restoration.”

Paul then told Lewis, “I’ve got time for one more [question].”

Lewis then replied, perhaps a little condescendingly, “Sorry, we sometimes have to be a bit forceful. When you stand for president, you get pressed on questions and you understand that.”

Paul answered another question, this one questioning how he’ll sell his message of reform to white Republicans who Lewis said do not think criminal law is applied an unfair way.

“I think your premise is incorrect,” Paul said. “Actually I think that I can take that message into a white evangelical church anywhere in Iowa and give exactly the same speech and be received well.”

As Lewis attempted to continue the interview, Paul smiled to Lewis, and walked off camera. Lewis then turned to the camera and attempted to wrap the interview when the lights in the room suddenly went out. He later tweeted that a CNN producer in the room had turned them off in preparation for a later interview.

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