Rep. Brandon Gill Hits NPR CEO with the Receipts as She Tries to Deny Some of Her Past Statements

GILL: “Ms. Maher, I want to start with you. Just generally, would you say you generally agree or disagree with the following statement? The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.”
MAHER: “I would not say I agree with that, sir.”
GILL: “You would not. That’s good to hear. It’s interesting because a lot of your thinking, as expressed by your public statements, is deeply infused with economic and cultural Marxism. Do you believe that America is addicted to white supremacy?”
MAHER: “I believe that I tweeted that, and as I’ve said earlier, I believe much of my thinking has evolved over the last half decade.”
GILL: “It has evolved. Why did you tweet that?”
MAHER: “I don’t recall the exact context, sir, so I wouldn’t be able to say.”
GILL: “OK. Do you believe that America believes in black plunder and white democracy?”
MAHER: “I don’t believe that, sir.” [crosstalk]
GILL: “You tweeted that in reference to a book you were reading at the time, apparently, ‘The Case for Reparations.’“
MAHER: “I don’t think I’ve ever read that book, sir.”
GILL: “You tweeted about it. You said you took a day off to fully read ‘The Case for Reparations.’ You put that on Twitter in January of 2020.”
MAHER: “I apologize, I don’t recall that I did.”
GILL: “OK.”
MAHER: “I have no doubt that your tweet there is correct, but I don’t recall that.”
GILL: “OK. Do you believe that white people inherently feel superior to other races?”
MAHER: “I do not.”
GILL: “You don’t. You tweeted something to that effect. You said, ‘I grew up feeling superior. Hah, how white of me.’ Why did you tweet that?”
MAHER: “I think I was probably reflecting on what it was to be — to grow up in an environment where I had lots of advantages.”
GILL: “It sounds like you’re saying that white people feel superior.”
MAHER: “I — I don’t believe that anybody feels that way, sir. I was just reflecting on my own experiences.”
GILL: “Do you think that white people should pay reparations?”
MAHER: “I — I have never said that, sir.”
GILL: “Yes, you did. You said it in January of 2020. You tweeted, ‘Yes, the North. Yes, all of us. Yes, America. Yes, our original collective sin and unpaid debt. Yes, reparations. Yes, on this day.’“
MAHER: “I don’t believe that was a reference to fiscal reparations, sir.”
GILL: “What kind of reparations was it a reference to?”
MAHER: “I think it was just a reference to the idea that we all owe much to the people who came before us.”
GILL: “That’s a bizarre way to frame what you tweeted. OK. How much reparations have you personally paid?”
MAHER: “Sir, I don’t believe that I’ve ever paid reparations.”
GILL: “OK, it’s just for everybody else.”
MAHER: “I’m not asking anyone to pay reparations, sir.”
GILL: “It seems to be what you’re suggesting. Do you believe that looting is morally wrong?”
MAHER: “I believe that looting is illegal, and I refer to it as counterproductive. I think it should be prosecuted —“ [crosstalk]
GILL: “Do you believe it’s morally wrong, though?”
MAHER: “Of course.”
GILL: “Of course. Then why did you refer to it as counterproductive? It’s a very different, very different way to describe it.”
MAHER: “It is both morally wrong and counterproductive, as well as being illegal.”
GILL: “You — you tweeted, it’s hard to be mad about protests, in reference to the BLM protests, not prioritizing the private property of a system of oppression. You didn’t condemn the looting. You said that it was counterproductive. NPR also promoted a book called ‘In Defense of Looting.’ Do you think that that’s an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars?”
MAHER: “I’m unfamiliar with that book, sir, and I don’t believe that was at my time at NPR.”
GILL: “You — you tweeted that you read that book, but —”
MAHER: “I — I don’t believe that I did read that book, sir.”
GILL: “Do you —”