Chuck Todd Corners Carly Fiorina On ‘Meet The Press’ Over Her Planned Parenthood Video Lies

In this month’s GOP debate, former Hewlett Packard CEO and surging Republican Presidential candidate Carly Fiorina drew a lot of attention over her forceful refutation of women’s health organization Planned Parenthood During the debate, she described a supposed scene from one of the undercover sting videos by an anti-abortion group that showed PP keeping an aborted fetus alive so its brain could be harvested. Her passionate condemnation of Planned Parenthood and abortion in general, along with her smackdown of Donald Trump, led to her quick rise in the Republican polls.

Of course, she made that shit up and has had to deal with criticism of her claims by the mainstream media. And just like a good conservative, she’s stood her ground in regard to her lies and has tried to flip it around to complaints about the media itself, stating that those questioning her lack credibility or have a set agenda. With that in mind, Fiorina appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday morning and clashed with the normally accommodating Chuck Todd over her refusal to back down from this falsehood.

Appearing after Todd grilled Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton over the neverending email story, Fiorina was immediately pressed on her video claims. To Todd’s credit, he wouldn’t allow Fiorina to change the subject or pivot to media criticism, as he kept trying to get her to admit that she at the very least has exaggerated what she saw on the videos.

From the transcript of the show:

CHUCK TODD: You got it. Let me start right in with the Planned Parenthood situation. At the debate, the most recent debate, you described the following scene, claiming it was on a tape: “A fully-formed fetus on the table, its heart beating, its legs kicking, while someone says, ‘We have to keep it alive to harvest its brain.'” Since then, when asked about the claim, your campaign has attacked Planned Parenthood, but there is no tape. There is no evidence that the scene you described exists. Are you willing now to concede that you exaggerated that scene?

CARLY FIORINA: No, not at all. That scene absolutely does exist. And that voice saying what I said they were saying, “We’re going to keep it alive to harvest its brain” exists as well. Here’s the thing. Yesterday I was at a football game–

CHUCK TODD: So you saw that moment on the tape?

CARLY FIORINA: Yes. And I would challenge Planned Parenthood. Here’s the deal. Yesterday, I was protested by Planned Parenthood people who were throwing condoms at me. I don’t know what that has to do with this. They’re trying to distract the American people from the hideous reality that Planned Parenthood is aborting fetuses alive to harvest their brains and other body parts. That is a fact.

Planned Parenthood will not and cannot deny this because it is happening. It is happening in this nation. And taxpayers are paying for it. Planned Parenthood desperately wants everyone to think this isn’t going on. Because when Americans realize it is going on, whether they are pro-life or pro-choice, they are horrified. This goes to the character of our nation and it must be stopped.

CHUCK TODD: Well, the footage you describe at best is a reenactment. The people even– the people that made the videos admit it’s stock footage. Yet, you went right along and said, “It’s Planned Parenthood.”

CARLY FIORINA: Chuck, Chuck, Chuck, Chuck, Chuck. Do you think this is not happening? Does Hillary Clinton think this is not happening? So sad that you missed the opportunity to ask Mrs. Clinton why she said, “Late-term abortions were only performed for medical purposes.” That is patently false. This is happening in America today. And taxpayers are paying for it. That is a fact. It is a reality. And no one can run away from it.

CHUCK TODD: But you are sort of ducking the video, the specific of this question. And I guess I’m trying, because let me tell you what a Washington Post–

CARLY FIORINA: I am not–

CHUCK TODD: –a Washington Post editorial this morning–

CARLY FIORINA: I am not ducking–

CHUCK TODD: A Washington Post editorial is calling it a “full-fledged falsehood on Ms. Fiorina.” They said, “Why would you–”

CARLY FIORINA: Okay, well you know what? In Washington–

CHUCK TODD: They said that it doesn’t excuse your mistruth. They said they understand you have a deeply-held belief on abortion, but that you’re exaggerating this specific claim.

CARLY FIORINA: No, no. Well, first of all the Washington Post also claims that I am lying about being a secretary. So let’s get real. I mean, I don’t even know how to deal with that. I was a secretary part-time to put myself through college, and full-time after I graduated. The Washington Post gave me three Pinocchios for claiming that I was a secretary.

So honestly, I don’t think The Washington Post has a lot of credibility here. This is not about being pro-life or pro-choice. It is certainly not about birth control. It is not even about women’s health. It is about the character of our nation. No one can deny this is happening because it is happening.

Woof. Usually, Todd is nothing more than an equivocating Muppet who will let politicians get away with spouting off talking points and full-on lies while he dutifully nods. However, he must have had an extra cup of coffee or something Sunday because, in both the Hillary and Fiorina segments, he acted like an actual journalist. It was extremely surprising.

After cornering Fiorina on Planned Parenthood, Todd pushed her further by asking her if she still wanted Republicans to force a government shutdown over funding for the organization. He also brought up previous comments she made in 2010 when she ran (and lost) for the Senate, stating at that time that Roe v. Wade was a settled issue. Beyond that, Todd also hammered her on her record as CEO for HP and why nobody hired her in the private-sector after she got the boot from the company.

Overall, it was just a brutal interview for Fiorina while also showing that when he wants to be, Todd can be an extremely tough and hard-nosed reporter.

Below is video of the interview, courtesy of NBC News: