Think Progress vs. Fox News: The art of the ambush interview

A Fox producer known for surprise interviews gets ambushed himself... and offers his assailant some tips on proper ambush style

Fox News producer Jesse Watters gives a would-be ambush interviewer from Think Progress some tips -- noting, for example, that the cellphone camera approach is "kind of weak."
(Image credit: YouTube)

The video: Ben Armbruster, a writer for the liberal website Think Progress, tried turning the tables on Jesse Watters, a Fox News producer known for conducting ambush interviews for Bill O'Reilly — and was cooly rebuffed. His cellphone video camera rolling, Armbruster approached Watters during last week's Conservative Political Action Conference, demanding that Watters comment on a former Fox News insider's claim that the channel fabricates material to "undermine Democrats." Ignoring the question, Watters instead took Armbruster to task for his journalistic technique. "This not how you do an ambush, man," Watters says. "It looks like you're a little J.V." When Armbruster brushes Watters' jacket, the Fox producer warns, "Watch my blazer, bro."

The reaction: "Jesse Watters has waaaay too much fun explaining the trade to this amateur," says Aaron Worthing at Patterico's Pontifications. Watters schooled Armbruster in how to avoid dignifying a painful accusation with a response. That's because Watters had to dodge the question, says D.J. Pangburn at The Sovereign Independent. He'd get fired if he answered. And even though "it was ultimately useless to approach Watters, it was a pleasure to see the camera turned on the smarmy bro." See for yourself:

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