'Not going to accept that premise': CNN anchor confronts GOP senator using age-old adage

CNN anchor Erin Burnett on Tuesday used a well-known expression against Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) after he repeatedly dodged persistent questions with his own balancing act comparisons.

The tense on-air moment came during Mullin’s appearance on “OutFront” a day after President Donald Trump stirred Capitol Hill by issuing blanket pardons to Jan. 6 attackers, including some of the most violent offenders.

Burnett played video clips of the Oklahoma senator himself blocking doors on Jan. 6 and engaging in face-to-face confrontations with attackers. Even so, Mullin repeatedly compared the pardons issued by former President Joe Biden with those issued by Trump.

“I’m just saying, you got to compare both of them,” Mullin said after delivering a lengthy prosecution against some of Biden’s pardons, while refusing to budge on his position supportive of the Jan. 6 pardons. “Erin, if you're going to cover the story, cover both stories, because neither one of them is….”

“Senator, two things though,” Burnett said after interrupting him mid-sentence. “First, I want to talk about you. First of all, saying 'Somebody else jumped off a bridge, so I'm going to jump off the bridge too,' is not an excuse that any of us would generally find acceptable. So just putting aside Biden did this, so Trump did this. I want to talk about your feelings about it. You talk about these as officers you know, you were there. You say it's a riot, you were yelling in rioters' faces. You were blockading a door as they were attacking the Capitol.”

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The veteran CNN anchor asked Mullin, given his stance then and in the weeks and months following the Capitol attack: “How can you defend people like that?”

Mullin told Burnett that “the American people have chosen to move on,” as evidenced by the election that sent Trump back into office.

“I don't mean to be beating a drum here,” Mullin said. “All I’m trying to say is let’s make sure that we're not just focusing on President Trump and his party, let’s keep in mind that the outgoing administration and President Biden did even worse.”

“Well, no, I'm not going to accept that premise,” Burnett said.

Mullin concluded by saying he has "my personal feelings" on the Jan. 6 pardons, but reiterated that "the American people have chosen to move on."

He added: "And President Trump, it's his prerogative to do this."

Watch the clip below or at this link: