CNN’s Tapper Presses Sen. Banks on His Viral Exchange with Fired HHS Employee: ‘Do You Have Any Evidence that He‘s a Left-Wing Activist?’

TAPPER I want to ░░░░░░░░ you about this exchange ░░░░░░░░ had yesterday in the ░░░░░░░░ of the Senate an ░░░░░░░░ with a former federal ░░░░░░░░ from the U S ░░░░░░░░ of Health and Human ░░░░░░░░ who approached you The ░░░░░░░░ went viral Here s ░░░░░░░░ little bit of it ░░░░░░░░ starts SCHROEDER Hi I ░░░░░░░░ a worker at HHS ░░░░░░░░ was fired illegally on ░░░░░░░░ 14th There are many ░░░░░░░░ who are not getting ░░░░░░░░ service programs especially people ░░░░░░░░ disabilities Are you going ░░░░░░░░ do anything to stop ░░░░░░░░ s happening BANKS You ░░░░░░░░ deserved it SCHROEDER I ░░░░░░░░ it BANKS You probably ░░░░░░░░ it SCHROEDER I deserved ░░░░░░░░ Wow UNKNOWN Oh dude ░░░░░░░░ s rude It s ░░░░░░░░ SCHROEDER Yeah that s ░░░░░░░░ to hear Why why ░░░░░░░░ I deserve it BANKS ░░░░░░░░ you seem like a ░░░░░░░░ Clip ends TAPPER So ░░░░░░░░ a statement to CNN ░░░░░░░░ about it you said ░░░░░░░░ have no sympathy for ░░░░░░░░ wing activists who have ░░░░░░░░ let go from overpaid ░░░░░░░░ that should have never ░░░░░░░░ I do have sympathy ░░░░░░░░ the hard working Hoosiers ░░░░░░░░ tax dollars have been ░░░░░░░░ on bankrolling those positions ░░░░░░░░ former federal employee was ░░░░░░░░ CNN a little bit ░░░░░░░░ today Listen to what ░░░░░░░░ had to say Clip ░░░░░░░░ SCHROEDER I was just ░░░░░░░░ what are you doing ░░░░░░░░ the social services that ░░░░░░░░ being cut specifically for ░░░░░░░░ with disabilities And his ░░░░░░░░ was just that I ░░░░░░░░ to get fired In ░░░░░░░░ to the piece about ░░░░░░░░ wing activism as a ░░░░░░░░ employee much like other ░░░░░░░░ servants I am non ░░░░░░░░ Clip ends TAPPER Do ░░░░░░░░ have any evidence that ░░░░░░░░ s a left wing ░░░░░░░░ Do you do you ░░░░░░░░ any idea what kind ░░░░░░░░ work he was doing ░░░░░░░░ HHS BANKS Yeah Here ░░░░░░░░ what I know Jake ░░░░░░░░ s an instigator He ░░░░░░░░ in the hallways of ░░░░░░░░ Senate office buildings every ░░░░░░░░ chasing down Republicans like ░░░░░░░░ and cheering for Democrats ░░░░░░░░ walk through the hallway ░░░░░░░░ it doesn t take ░░░░░░░░ whole lot here to ░░░░░░░░ from that he is ░░░░░░░░ left wing activist And ░░░░░░░░ I have no tolerance ░░░░░░░░ is anyone who believes ░░░░░░░░ are entitled to a ░░░░░░░░ funded job In this ░░░░░░░░ we know that he ░░░░░░░░ between somewhere 85 000 ░░░░░░░░ 100 000 a year ░░░░░░░░ a job that he ░░░░░░░░ t even explain what ░░░░░░░░ was doing It was ░░░░░░░░ job that wasted taxpayer ░░░░░░░░ I have no sympathy ░░░░░░░░ that But I do ░░░░░░░░ about those factory workers ░░░░░░░░ teachers the police officers ░░░░░░░░ Indiana who work hard ░░░░░░░░ day and pay taxes ░░░░░░░░ fund a job like ░░░░░░░░ They shouldn t belong ░░░░░░░░ the federal government to ░░░░░░░░ with So that was ░░░░░░░░ point I m not ░░░░░░░░ to shy away or ░░░░░░░░ down or apologize for ░░░░░░░░ I had to say ░░░░░░░░ This was a calculated ░░░░░░░░ activist in the hallways ░░░░░░░░ the Senate and I ░░░░░░░░ t have a lot ░░░░░░░░ tolerance for it TAPPER ░░░░░░░░ you feel that way ░░░░░░░░ every federal employee that ░░░░░░░░ been laid off in ░░░░░░░░ these massive job cuts ░░░░░░░░ DOGE and President Trump ░░░░░░░░ been doing BANKS Look ░░░░░░░░ guy was chasing me ░░░░░░░░ other Republican senators through ░░░░░░░░ hallways Of course of ░░░░░░░░ not My comments were ░░░░░░░░ at this fellow again ░░░░░░░░ can t even explain ░░░░░░░░ his job was It ░░░░░░░░ a woke job that ░░░░░░░░ taxpayer dollars and I ░░░░░░░░ thankful that President Trump ░░░░░░░░ that job to save ░░░░░░░░ dollars at a time ░░░░░░░░ we have a 37 ░░░░░░░░ national debt That s ░░░░░░░░ we re getting at ░░░░░░░░ wasteful spending save those ░░░░░░░░ dollars No hard working ░░░░░░░░ in Indiana deserves to ░░░░░░░░ the salary of someone ░░░░░░░░ that TAPPER I m ░░░░░░░░ asking how do you ░░░░░░░░ what job he has ░░░░░░░░ had BANKS He can ░░░░░░░░ explain it I ve ░░░░░░░░ online what he had ░░░░░░░░ say about his job ░░░░░░░░ doesn t make sense ░░░░░░░░ couldn t even explain ░░░░░░░░ on CNN earlier today ░░░░░░░░ you had him on ░░░░░░░░ on your station exactly ░░░░░░░░ he did do which ░░░░░░░░ why he was a ░░░░░░░░ short term employee who ░░░░░░░░ his job because President ░░░░░░░░ and DOGE determined there ░░░░░░░░ a job that we ░░░░░░░░ t need in the ░░░░░░░░ government to begin with ░░░░░░░░ s the heart of ░░░░░░░░ matter.”