In an interview with Meet the Press host Chuck Todd Sunday morning, Vice President-elect Mike Pence evaded questions about whether President-elect Donald Trump's deal with Carrier should be considered crony capitalism. "On Carrier, why isn't this pay-to-play politics?" Todd asked. "Some people would say you gave a tax break to Carrier so that they would only send 700 jobs overseas. Sarah Palin called it crony capitalism. Why isn't it?"

Pence's initial response contrasted his own unsuccessful attempts as governor of Indiana to convince Carrier to keep production in the United States with Trump's effective negotiations. Then, as Todd pushed him to explain how the deal is not an example of "government intervening in the private sector," Pence shifted the conversation elsewhere, first to an expression of happiness about the American jobs that were saved in time for Christmas and then to complaints about negative media coverage. Watch the full exchange below. Bonnie Kristian