CNN contributor Angela Rye pointed out on Thursday that it was inappropriate to equate Donald Trump's alleged groping to any of Hillary Clinton's scandals because "she's still not talking about grabbing guys by the nuts." But the discussion took a turn when Trump surrogate Andre Bauer called Rye "darlin'".
Following Michelle Obama's about Trump's treatment of women, Rye praised the first lady for addressing the pain caused by sexual abuse.
"This has become a very emotionally toxic election for so many people," she noted.
Bauer agreed that the Republican nominee should be talking about campaign issues instead of attacking the women who accused him of touching them inappropriately.
"I'm frustrated as a guy that supported him early on, I saw so many things that were vastly different between he and the other 16 Republicans that ran," he explained. "I don't see that message now."
"That train has left the station," Rye replied. "This election is no longer about economic issues and health care and foreign affairs and national security issues, it's no longer about ISIS. This is literally about whether or not you want to elect a man who brags about sexually assaulting women, who has talked disparagingly about our appearances, who called a former Miss Universe 'Miss Piggy' and 'Miss Housekeeping'."
"Your candidate has taken it to the lowest common denominator," Rye told Bauer. "And now, the election is not just about us vs. them, it's now really about right vs. wrong."
Bauer countered: "Your candidate has many more warts. She had to beat up Bernie [Sanders] and said so many disparaging things about him, stole the primary from him. She gets the questions before the debate."
"That's not true," Rye said.
"I never interrupted you, darlin'," Bauer grinned.
"Darlin'?" Rye gasped.
"I totally respect your position," Bauer opined.
"You don't," Rye observed. "You just called me darlin' at 2:30 in the afternoon, Andre. You don't respect my position at all."
"Yes, and that's what a Southern gentleman says," the South Carolina native remarked. "If you want to interrupt me, I get this game."
Bauer added that there "are vast disparities between both candidates, and there's a lot of things that [Hillary Clinton has] done that I don't think we want 6 year olds to see either."
"She's still not talking about grabbing any guy by the nuts!" Rye quipped. "So, let's just frank about that. I'm sorry, we just have to be honest about what it is."
The segment concluded with Rye issuing a friendly warning to the Trump surrogate.
"Don't call me darlin' on air," she said.
Watch the video below from CNN, broadcast Oct. 13, 2016.
