CNN’s Don Lemon on Wednesday could hardly get through a discussion about the GOP’s celebration on the White house lawn, repeatedly bursting into laughter at footage of grown Republican congresspeople heaping effusive praise on Donald Trump.
From Speaker of the House Paul Ryan extolling his “exquisite presidential leadership” to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell touting his "year of extraordinary accomplishment," Republican leaders on Wednesday lined up to stroke the president’s ego following the passage of the historic tax overhaul.
“There was a festival of flattery on the White House lawn today to celebrate the passage of the Republican tax cut bill,” Lemon began.
“Oh my god, is that ‘SNL’?” Lemon asked, laughing. “Is that real? Complimenting President Trump has become something of a ritual at the White House, but have other presidents expected such praise?”
Lemon brought on presidential historians Timothy Natale and Douglas Brinkley to discuss the scene at the White House, but could barely introduce them before once again breaking into laughter.
“Listen, you—what is going on here?!” Lemon asked. “By the way, you gentlemen look so handsome. You're such fantastic historians. I am just honored to be on television with you.”
Rolling footage of a large crowd of Republicans applauding Trump in unison, Lemon exclaimed, “Oh, my gosh, look at them!”
Brinkley noted that since the president is sitting at a meager 35 percent approval rating, the passage of the GOP tax bill is “worth high-fiving.”
“It is an historic victory,” Brinkley said. “But I think the exaggeration of having to kiss the ring of Donald Trump—it almost seems like a scene out of ‘The Godfather’ we just saw, not what you would expect from the president of a democracy.”
“I haven't heard this kind of sycophancy since I listened to the Nixon tapes where Henry Kissinger is telling the president what a remarkable human being he is,” Natale added.
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