Roger Marshall

Sen. Roger Marshall asserts that national cable news shows are entertainment designed to anger viewers.

He believes these shows, along with social media, empower political extremes and contribute to Washington gridlock.

Marshall states that both Democrats and Republicans fear backlash from their base and the media if they compromise.

Despite the political division, Marshall says he maintains friendships with Democrats like Sen. Bernie Sanders.

U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall blames national cable television news shows — which he believes are designed to make their viewers mad — for contributing to a political environment focused on the party extremes and contributing to gridlock in Washington, D.C.

"Of course they're not news show, they're entertainment, and their job is to make you mad," Marshall said. "So the goal of Fox News, of CNN, MSNBC (MS NOW), their goal is to make you mad.

"I mean, like my parents all the time, they'll talk to me and you can just see their temperature rising. I'll say: 'Dad, why are you watching that? When you feel like you're getting mad, switch it to the ballgame.' It's mesmerizing. I mean, they're good. They're really good at keeping you entranced."

Marshall's comment came in response to a question from Nick Xidis, who hosted the senator for an April 1 small business roundtable with the National Federation of Independent Business at Hazel Hill Chocolate in downtown Topeka. Xidis said Congress seems stuck in "permanent deadlock" and asked whether there "is a way out of that."

"I'm the eternal optimist, but we're sure stuck right now," Marshall said. "I wish I could say differently."

Marshall offered his theory for why.

"What's different today than 30 years ago? I think No. 1 is the far right and the far left are the tail wagging the dog right now," he said. "These vocal minorities are all given microphones. They're given microphones through social media. They're given microphones through fundraising. They're given microphones through the nightly cable news shows."

Marshall said, "My point is this, if the Democrats give in right now on DHS funding, they will be crucified by the legacy media and by their base and by social media."

He said "the same happens to" Republicans.

"If we feel like, gosh, we've tried everything, what can we do to reach agreement here? Then we're going to get crucified by our base and by the media as well," he said.

"That's not an excuse. That's just the way I see it. I agree that we're stuck right now. I think a lot of it is created by social media, by the 24/7 news cycle that we're just bombarded with. But I haven't given up. We'll keep trying."

Marshall said the public doesn't realize there are friends among Republicans and Democrats.

"What you don't realize is the friendships that we have across the aisle," he said. "Every Wednesday morning, I've been co-chairman of a bipartisan prayer breakfast, something started by President Eisenhower in the 1950s that we've continued.

"I've got some incredible relationships across the aisle. Bernie Sanders and I have a great relationship. We agree a lot on the same goals. We both want everyone to have health care, access to health care, affordable health care. We just disagree on how to get there. You know, he wants Medicare for all, I want more competition."