'Blech!' CNN host audibly shudders  debating Mike Johnson's take on D.C. dating

CNN's Audie Cornish audibly shuddered on air during a discussion of House Speaker Mike Johnson's message to lawmakers on dating.

Cornish and her "CNN This Morning" panelists were discussing Thursday Johnson's (R-LA) public backing a ban on members of Congress having romantic or sexual relationships with Capitol Hill staffers, which came after two House members resigned over sexual misconduct allegations.

"There's so much overlapbetween politicians, members ofthe media and staffers," said TMZ's Jacob Wasserman. "When yougo out to bars, there are allthese bars around D.C., andeveryone's hanging out witheach other, and it's likeloosening the tie and it justfeels like you get alcohol inthe mix and, you know, the rulesare off point."

Cornish pointed out that reporters often cultivated sources over drinks with lawmakers and their staffers, and Axios' Alex Thompson jumped in to argue Congress should tighten up its rules that currently ban members from having sexual relationships with staffers in their own office.

"Mike Johnson is right," Thompson said. "The era ofworkplace romances ended incorporate America post-MeToo,but it has not hit Capitol Hill,in part because you have this,you know, at times, boozyculture, endless happy hours and, you know, on Congress, itseemed that they had an out.Now, Mike Johnson, you know,comes from a prettyconservative, culturallyconservative place."

"He says he's not worried," Cornish interjected.

Thomas argued it would be worth keeping an eye on the nay-sayers.

"It's going to becurious if there's any... membersof Congress that vocally comeout against this and be like, 'Well, I still wanted to have alittle bit of a dating life,'" Thompson said. "'Andit's been conspicuous.'"

This spurred a visceral reaction from Cornish.

"Ugh," she said. "Blech."

Cornish then pivoted to her own past experience as a Capitol Hill reporter, saying she felt compelled to wear high heels and a sheath dress while on the job.

"So I'm shimmying around in this sheath dress, destroying my knee cartilage for why, for what?" Cornish said. "You know what I mean, and it was this sense that you were part of a display of all the staffers were hot, and it was confusing to me what I was a part of."

Meghan Hays, who served as a communications staffer under former President Joe Biden, reported similar experiences working in the nation's capital.

"One of my first jobs in Washington, my boss told me theyprefer us to wear dresses – the shorter the better," Hays said. "That is not unusual here. I dothink that the thing that's alittle bit unfortunate that weeven have to have thisconversation, like, why can'tyou be the leader that you'reelected to be by the people, andI think that's what's differentthan in corporate America."

Hays added, "That Johnson even has to dothis or even talked about it issort of gross."

- YouTubeyoutu.be