'How does this help?' CNN host puts GOP lawmaker on the spot over 'flat out racist' post

CNN's John Berman wrote off a Republican lawmaker's defense of President Donald Trump's social media activity with some light mockery.

Rep. Carlos Giménez (R-FL) appeared Thursday morning on "CNN News Central," where he was asked about the Trump administration threatening to rescind funding approved by Congress, but he defended the moves as rolling back priorities of former President Joe Biden.

"Well, look, there's plenty of stuff that Congress passed during the Biden administration that I thought was a waste of money, okay," Giménez said, "andfrankly, that's what the whatthe Trump administration isdoing now is finding thoseplaces where, they think, it'salso a waste of taxpayer money and clawing that back. I don'thave really a problemwith it. Give it back to us, let's see if it's, in fact, webelieve that it's necessary ornot, and then, and move on.Different administrations havedifferent priorities, andbelieve me, mypriorities were never alignedwith the priorities of the Bidenadministration."

Berman pointed out that the administration was not actually sending those decisions back to Congress but deciding unilaterally to cancel their appropriations, and then he moved on to ask the lawmaker about the president posting an AI-generated video showing House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wearing a sombrero and handlebar mustache.

"Vice President [JD] Vance says he thinks it'sfunny," Berman said. "There are a lot of peoplewho look at this and say, justflat out racist. How does thishelp with the negotiations,congressman?"

Giménez insisted there was nothing wrong with the post, which came after Trump and Vance accused Democrats of forcing a government shutdown to protect health care funding for undocumented immigrants.

"Well, look, I think it's justmaking making fun of Hakeem Jeffries," Giménez said. "I think everybodyneeds to chill out a little bit, okay, and you're goingto see more of these thingshappen, and so people need todevelop a little bit thickerskin, you know, and that's, andit comes with the territory whenyou are a politician. So I wouldexpect the meme to come out ofme, and so if you complain aboutit, you're just going to getmore of it, and so now I sawit, you know, okay. I kind ofchuckled, and then we move on."

Berman gently chided the lawmaker for justifying the president's post.

"No one would ever meme you,congressman," Berman said. "But I do wonderwhat the what the thousands offurloughed, I do wonder what thethousands of furloughed federalworkers think and how they thinkthis is helping them right now."

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