USTR Hits GOP Solon For Telling Her "She's Too Nice"

When Rep. Greg Murphy (R-N.C.) got his turn to question US top trade negotiator Katherine Tai at a recent House hearing, he told her she was too nice to do her job and had "too nice a smile," Justine McDaniel reported for Washington Post.

Photo Insert: The Harvard-trained Tai had the last word of the exchange, telling Murphy that he missed the point completely.

Tai, who holds a Cabinet-level position, has negotiated with China and argued cases before the World Trade Organization (WTO), made it clear she was not going to tolerate Murphy's assessment.

"Okay, well let me just take off the 'nice' a little bit: I don't need your pity. I stand up for the American people, and when I speak, people listen because I represent the interests of the US," Tai said.

Murphy told Tai that she is "handicapped" by the Biden administration, adding, "and you're stuck - personally, I feel sorry for you - you're stuck in the middle of that."

Tai responded: "Congressman, I can assure you that I know to be nice to members of the Ways and Means Committee, and I've never been, I've never been faulted for being too nice… I also don't need you to feel sorry for me. So please don't. Please don't do that."

The Harvard-trained Tai had the last word of the exchange, telling Murphy that he missed the point completely.

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