CNBC anchor Andrew Ross Sorkin on Wednesday accused co-anchor Joe Kernen of providing political help to President Donald Trump instead of reporting factual news about the coronavirus pandemic.
Kernen appeared to get under Sorkin's skin by dismissing questions about the relatively quick market comeback as the rest of the economy suffers in the midst of the pandemic.
"Joe, you missed [the stock market] 100% on the way down and you missed 100,000 deaths," Sorkin said. "So we can have this debate back and forth and you can try and question the questions I'm asking."
"Hold on!" Sorkin shouted when Kernen tried to interrupt him.
"I'm not going to do this with you, Joe," he said. "These are questions that investors are asking every single morning. I'm just trying to get through some of this clutter. I may be right or I may be wrong... it doesn't make people a good person or a bad person. It doesn't make it right to act the way you are."
"You just yelled again," Kernen complained. "I'm sorry."
"No you're not, Joe," Sorkin charged. "Go ahead with the news."
"You panicked about the market, panicked about COVID, panicked about the ventilators, panicked about the PPE, panicked about ever going out again," Kernen said.
"Joseph, 100,000 people died!" Sorkin exclaimed. "A hundred thousand people died and all you did was try to help your friend the president! That's what you did! Every single morning on this show! Every single morning on this show you have used and abused your position, Joe!"
"I'm trying to help investors keep their cool," Kernen insisted. "As it turns out, that's what they should have done."
"Do the news," Sorkin quipped before signing off.
Watch the video below from CNBC.
