Chris Wallace Defends Newt Gingrich Question As Sean Hannity Criticizes Him (VIDEO)

Two members of the panel that questioned GOP candidates in Thursday's debate defended some of their more controversial queries on Friday's "Fox and Friends." Meanwhile, Sean Hannity seemed to say that one of the questions--from Fox News colleague Chris Wallace--was out of line.

Wallace and columnist Byron York both drew the ire of the Ames, Iowa crowd for asking some aggressive questions of Newt Gingrich and Michele Bachmann, respectively. Wallace asked Gingrich about his campaign staff exodus, and was drawn into a hostile exchange with the former Speaker, who accused him of posing "gotcha" questions.

One of Wallace's fiercest critics would appear to be Sean Hannity. Just after the debate ended, he had Gingrich on as a guest, and seemed to agree with him that Wallace deserved to be slapped down. He told Gingrich that the Speaker's outburst reminded him of the famous moment in a 1980 debate, when Ronald Reagan angrily told a questioner, "I'm paying for this microphone."

"You really seemed to think, wait a minute, why are we talking about this when we ought to be talking about the substance?" he said.

Hannity also claimed that Barack Obama had never been asked a similar question during the 2008 campaign. "The double standard is clear," he said.

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On Friday, Wallace didn't mention Hannity's criticism. He told "Fox and Friends" that he was simply doing his job. "Welcome to the NFL," he said. "We're talking about presidential politics. It isn't beanbag." Gingrich, he suggested, was just unhappy to be asked a tough question.

"I'm sorry Speaker Gingrich was unhappy," he said. "...I guess it was something about shooting the messenger."

Watch (via Johnny Dollar):

York drew even more boos and catcalls than Wallace when he asked Bachmann about statements she'd made indicating that she thinks wives should be "submissive" to their husbands.

He was also on "Fox and Friends," and was asked about his question, which Bachmann batted away with a smile.

"This is a serious and legitimate question about something she has said and believe me, if she progresses very far in the campaign process, she would have been asked this question," he replied. "And I personally thought she handled it very well. She handled it much more human--it was like a very human moment for her."

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Comments

[Dan Langdon]

04:21 PM on 08/16/2011

This is what happens when you don't follow the party ne at Fox.

[hammhome]

03:33 PM on 08/16/2011

I have read and heard pundits opining that "Newt is the smartest guy around", I watched the debate. He was cranky, arrogant, flip and rude. This is his strategy for elevating himself out of the well he jumped into right out of the gate. This is not smart. It is a big turnoff. He is not gonna be The Guy. He needs to get out of the race.

[Aredee]

03:01 PM on 08/16/2011

Chris Wallace is one of the closest things to a true journalist that Faux News has on its roster, so I'm not surprised that the network's true believers would be upset that he asked a real question of one of the Reich -wing's favorite shibboleth.

[Jack Comstock]

02:37 PM on 08/16/2011

So let me get this straight-anything more than softball questions from FOX so called "reporters" to the GOP candidates is an outrage yet reporters are supposed to ask the president the tough questions and FOX is outraged when they don't...hmmmm-sounds pretty damn unfair and unbalanced to me-and any other rational thinking person with half a brain...how about FOX and the GOP candidates take off the diapers and put on the adult pants???

[filiusj]

01:35 PM on 08/16/2011

Neut considers that a gotcha question? A reporter can't ask about a candidate's campaign staff quitting? Here's a gotcha question. 'Neut, two of your previous wives learned you were not trustworthy, why should American citizens trust you?' Or how about, 'You left a wife as she was battling cancer, a time when she needed you the most. How do we know you won't bail out when times are tough for the country.'

[Marcus1]

09:42 AM on 08/16/2011

Hannity the racist calling other people out is laughable.

[lastcallmd]

04:42 AM on 08/16/2011

You call that a feud??? A little sensationalist on that header, no? LOL Of course, you all can wish......

[YOKEL13]

03:21 AM on 08/16/2011

Tell it, Newton.... you're entitled.... you got 2.28% of the Ames Straw Poll Vote (385 votes)!

[RJB Boston]

01:52 AM on 08/16/2011

hey if gingrich cant retain his own team thats an issue!

[chiara0]

08:01 PM on 08/15/2011

Wow, Newt attempting to elevate the conversation. Chinnity, does the usual fawning, loves hearing from Newt that he's part of the club. That's what he lives for.

Wallace and Faux News don't care about real issues. Plain and simple.

Rick Perry looks like Josh Brolin playing George W, in the film "W".

What a sad lot we're going to be listening to for the next year or so.

[Aroon]

05:53 PM on 08/15/2011

Chris Wallace could have simply said to Sean Hannity "you are not my boss, punk!" !!!

[jazzylyn]

04:45 PM on 08/15/2011

I loved every second of the exchanges almost as if msnbc was the ones questioning!!!!!

[lawyersgunsandmoney]

02:54 PM on 08/15/2011

ratman vs. the linebacker
about the bear.
:(

[voltaire11]

02:32 PM on 08/15/2011

Watching Wallace and Hannity go at it is as much fun as watching a bulldog licking peanut butter off the roof of its mouth.

[MNKen]

09:56 PM on 08/15/2011

LOL. Now there is a classic image! Thanks for the laugh!

[Michael Ludin]

12:13 PM on 08/15/2011

Wallace is a clown but his questions were far from gotcha -- WTF is a gotcha question anyway -- a new moniker for a question that reveals something -- reporters are supposed to ask probing questions, sensational or not. If they only ask questions that permit talking-point answers, who needs them. Both were fair game questions.