I often sense that politicians are increasingly worried about hostile media questioning and reporting. The question therefore is how to best deal with ambush interviews. The first thing to do is always this: Don’t let yourself be dragged into an emotional shouting match. Try to regain control of the situation. Even if you’re caught off guard and surprised, regain control.
We saw an impressive example for this just last week by Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She was asked by a journalist whether this impeachment process is just because she hates the president. Instead of further entering into an exchange with that journalist, she walked back to the podium, took a second, and regained control of the situation. By doing so, she grilled the journalist in her answer. Watch the episode here.