All posts tagged "cnn"

'Oh, come on': CNN's friendly Trump appointee interview goes sideways with one statement

Mehmet Oz, President Donald Trump’s administrator for the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid, made a remark Sunday that caught CNN’s Dana Bash so off guard that it instantly upended the otherwise friendly interview.

Oz was speaking to the Trump administration’s push for more transparency in health care costs before Bash asked him to comment on the nationwide surge in measles cases, with South Carolina reporting 920 cases of the respiratory virus on Friday, its highest numbers since the disease was declared eradicated more than three decades ago.

“Is this a consequence of the administration undermining support or advocacy for measles and other vaccines?” Bash asked Oz.

“I don't believe so,” he answered. “We've advocated for measles vaccines all along; [Health and Human Services] Secretary [Robert F.] Kennedy's been at the very front of this.”

The notion that RFK Jr., among the most prominent promoters of vaccine misinformation, was at the “very front” of vaccine advocacy, left Bash taken aback.

“Oh, come on!” Bash uttered.

For years, RFK Jr. has floated debunked theories about vaccines, including that vaccine use can cause autism. The notion that RFK Jr. was “at the very front” of vaccine advocacy was challenged by Bash, who cited a recent social media post from Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine advocacy group founded by RFK Jr. and run by him until 2023.

“Despite the media's scare tactics, there's no reason to fear measles,” the organization wrote in a social media post on X last week, a post that was flagged with X’s crowd-sourced fact-checking service for containing misinformation.

“Should people fear measles?” Bash bluntly asked Oz.

“Oh, for sure,” Oz conceded.

CNN hosts called out for softball Dr. Oz interview: 'High five?'

CNN anchors Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown were criticized Friday after a bizarre live interview — and high five — with Dr. Mehmet Oz.

Oz, administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, is a former television health expert made popular by his association with Oprah Winfrey and now a Trump administration official. During the CNN interview, Oz described why he believed Americans should work longer and postpone retirement, as well as gave other remarks on the state of American health care. He also talked about weight loss drugs, prices and how Brown didn't need them because she looks like a "gazelle."

It appeared throughout the conversation with Oz that Blitzer and Brown did not push back on any of his claims or comments.

People watching mocked the interview and Oz's view points. They had plenty to say on social media.

"Trump admin act normal around women journalist challenge (IMPOSSIBLE!?)," Adam Mockler of MeidasTouch wrote on X.

"This is adorable. But Dr. Oz? Really ? High five in Dr. Oz? I’m disabled and he wants me to continue working? CNN omgggg," user Braver Music wrote on X.

"Dr. Oz: Every American should get to experience the joy of dropping dead at work," user Chris Robinson wrote on X.

"Dr. Oz rolling onto the CNN set to let you know if you’re willing to pay cash you can get 48 different medications CHEAP. No word yet, whether these particular drugs are out of date. Also, you really need to put off that retirement for a few years to help pay off the national debt," user Jim Carey wrote on X.

"When you really shouldn't say anything, but you say it anyway," Dianne McKenna wrote on X.

"What a sleazeballl," user Spencer Ryan wrote on X.

"Who tf cares what Dr. Oz says? Half of his life has been spent pedaling BS drugs on daytime TV," user Alex Kane wrote on X.

"The guy who made a fortune off of scamming seniors with weight loss pills and snake oil enemas. This turd has never had a hard days work in his life," user Chief Keiff wrote on X.

"Easy for the wealthy and elite to encourage the average person to work earlier and longer," user Rayvn wrote on X.

"From kids working sooner to seniors retiring later, and now body-shaming a CNN host on live TV — this is what happens when a TV doctor runs public health: vibes over science, austerity for the many, condescension for free," user Ashok Dadhwal wrote on Bluesky.

"F--- CNN and their softball ass questions," user Jen R. wrote on Threads.

Bully Trump cut me out — because he couldn't scare me

There’s been a lot of support this week for CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, who got berated by the Giant Orange Snowflake Epstein Bestie for simply Doing A Journalism While Female in the Oval Office.

But it’s also a classic example of who Trump has always been, and therefore should be used as an example of how to fight back against him.

🚨TRUMP MELTS DOWN AT KAITLAN COLLINSTrump lost it when CNN reporterKaitlan Collins asked him an Epstein related question.Share this widely. linnocent people don't act like this:KEEP THE HEAT UP. HE'S PANICKING.

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— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@calltoactivism.bsky.social) February 3, 2026 at 5:39 PM

The vainglorious, short-fingered vulgarian bloviated loudly, steamrolled Collins’ questions, and even busted out some tired “You should smile more” misogyny that no woman in history has ever enjoyed hearing, especially from someone who’s never given any of us anything to smile about.

Bullies are the weakest people. There’s nothing strong about needing to put another person down, to feel bigger and stronger. They learn soon that no one will respect them, so the next best thing is to instill fear.

At the same time, all bullying is rooted in jealousy. In Trump’s case, it also comes with a whopping dose of self-victimization and the need to assert power over anyone who might expose him as the spineless coward he is.

As kids, we’re taught to stand up to bullies, even if they’re bigger. “Don’t let them push you around like that!” my father barked at me when I was bullied in sixth grade. Imagine if Trump had been a truck driver in New Jersey in the 1970s and '80s — that’s my dad. He bullied me for getting bullied, so I learned how to stand up and push back. That included pushing back at him. Instead of letting my abuser continue to abuse me, I cut him out of my life.

That’s not as easy to do with Trump, but it’s a problem that never should have existed. When he descended that gold escalator to launch his first bid for president in 2015, I knew exactly what he was: a smarmy, slimy, chauvinistic playboy who thought he was better looking and more powerful than he actually was.

Groomed first by Roy Cohn, then by Vladimir Putin, Donny Daddy Issues got all the attention and ego-boosting he thirsted for. The false bravado grew as he created his own legend. He famously pushed back against any woman who interviewed him — like Barbara Walters and Lesley Stahl.

When he hit the campaign trail, his attacks on the media surged. Even the most professional of journalists were taken aback by his attacks — but few were able to prevail over the tactics he learned from Daddy Vladdy: deny, deflect, and distract.

Trump was astute enough to understand how to play to his few strengths. E. Jean Carroll can attest to how he used his physicality to intimidate women, and we’ve all seen him steamroll anyone who asks questions he doesn’t like.

Guess who else asked him questions he didn’t like?

Me, that’s who.

I’m 5ft tall and weigh maybe a buck-five, so I love knowing that huge homunculus of an adjudicated rapist is scared of me.

Such a fearless leader, huh? Yell louder, Tiny. I can’t hear you because you’ve never unblocked me.

MAGA loves the “loudest person is always right” approach, because then they don’t have to hear anything that makes them feel bad. They’ve all taken on Trump’s persona in their pursuit of “owning the Libs,” a goal apparently more important than making sure they can feed their families or afford health care. And that whole Epstein files thing? Just a “Democrat hoax” pushed by the “fake news media.”

I’ve already written about Trump’s favorite way to scapegoat the media and any others who dare challenge him. But that certainly wasn’t the first time I tried to get their attention.

Trump’s abusiveness left the mainstream media (MSM for short) incapable of covering Joe Biden accurately. While he and VP Kamala Harris were undoing the damage of the first illegitimate Trump regime, the MSM was all, “Will Trump run again?”

When Biden pulled us out of Trump’s pandemic depression and lifted all other global economies with us, the MSM breathlessly covered Trump’s FOUR DIFFERENT ARRESTS, simply watching as MAGA turned his mugshot into a badge of honor instead of yet another Hall of Shame moment.

“The MSM has PTSD from TFG,” I wrote in October 2023. Remember when Biden called Trump “The Former Guy”? Dark Brandon should’ve been the media’s darling, not the convicted felon rapist who fomented an insurrection and stole classified documents from the White House. It’s still true. Ironically, I submitted that as an op-ed to the Washington Post, which has now fully capitulated to Putin’s puppet. Its new masthead should read “Trumpism Over Journalism,” as it helps our democracy die, drowned in Dark Money.

But if I can stand up to the bully, so can Kaitlan Collins and anyone else he targets. Trump will continue to abuse anyone who asks him about Epstein, but that can’t mean no one asks him about Epstein.

My advice comes from my GenX experiences and every '80s movie where the bullies finally lose, after a montage where the nerds build a clubhouse or something, all set to “New Song” by Howard Jones.

Just ask Trump why he’s never released the full and unredacted Epstein files, to exonerate himself. When Trump goes after that person — and he will — the next person should ask the same question. And the next. Use your voices together. Be louder than him. Say it’s your job to get the truth to the people. He won’t know what to do with a united front like that, and you’ll be exposing his weakness live on camera.

Give it a try. It’s only our democracy at stake. Use the truth as a shield instead of letting him hurt us with his lies.

Tara Dublin is a political writer/commentator based in Portland, OR, who has been blocked by Donald Trump on Twitter since August 2015 and can occasionally be heard as a fill-in host on SiriusXM Progress. She is also the author of The Sound of Settling, a rock ‘n’ roll love story available at taradublinrocks.com

Uprising erupts at CNN against MAGA commentator Scott Jennings: report

An uprising against MAGA pundit Scott Jennings is underway behind the scenes at CNN, according to a report Friday.

CNN CEO Mark Thompson was apparently trying to "calm nerves inside the network during an all-hands meeting" on Wednesday after he was pressed on questions over why Jennings was not held to the same editorial standards as the rest of the staff, Status reported.

He has had several public spats on-air with fellow commentators, including a Jan. 19 clash with Cameron Kasky, a fellow panelist and Parkland High School shooting survivor. Kasky called Jennings out for using the term "illegal aliens," which goes against the network's editorial standards, according to Status.

Jennings responded to Kasky's comments during the back and forth.

“Who are you to tell me what I can and can’t say? I’ve never met you, brother. I can say whatever I want,” Jennings said. “They’re illegal aliens. And that’s what the law calls them. Illegal aliens. That’s what I’m going to call them.”

Thompson reportedly told the staff members that contributors are not held to the same editorial standards as the network's journalists.

Frequent CNN analyst Julie Roginsky this month unloaded on the network for allowing Jennings to be rude to his opponents while engaging in bad-faith arguments during his appearances. She noted his abusive treatment of women without penalty has given rise to a belief among some outside female analysts that they have been blackballed for criticizing him.

On her Substack, Roginsky wrote that she likely will be “banned from CNN’s airwaves” for going public and making her case against Jennings, whom she called an “insecure little boy.”

She argued that it's not Jennings' political ties that are the problem — but instead his conduct.

“The problem is how he behaves, what he contributes, and what his presence signals about what CNN now tolerates,” Roginsky wrote.

MAGA pundit admits Kristi Noem spread wild lie: 'That's absolutely not true'

MAGA CNN commentator Brad Todd admitted Monday that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem spread a wild falsehood in the aftermath of a federal immigration agent fatally shooting 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

Todd called out Noem's baseless claims that Pretti had "brandished" a weapon despite video taken by witnesses showing the opposite.

"If the Second Amendment says that you have the right to keep and bear arms, which means you can have it anywhere you are legally and lawfully allowed to be, unless you've proven to be a threat to yourself or others already," Todd said.

"I think you also have to go back to what Kristi Noem said yesterday, that he was 'brandishing' the weapon. That's absolutely not true. Unless it happened before the video we saw then. He was not brandishing the weapon," Todd added. "And that's a pretty key fact of how law enforcement are going to treat you. Now, he did have a right to be carrying in the time it is inadvisable to be engaging with law enforcement while you are carrying, unless you're going to be telling them up front that you have a permit and you are carrying. So that's inadvisable. It doesn't get you shot. The penalty for doing something inadvisable should not be to get you shot. However, when you introduce a gun to a confrontation with the law enforcement officers and you introduced that before you get there, you have to be aware of the fact that that changes their calculus and risk."

'What the hell?' CNN conservative astounded by Stephen Miller's wild claims

Conservative commentator Jonah Goldberg had a sharp response Monday to White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller's unfounded claims that local and state police should "stand down" and "surrender" to ICE agents.

Goldberg was on a CNN panel responding to Miller's comments on X that alleged police in Minneapolis — where ICE agent Jonathan Ross shot and killed mother Renee Good in her car this month — have allowed protesters to do whatever they want.

"First of all, on the Stephen Miller thing, I've read the Constitution a couple of times. Nowhere in there does it say that the White House deputy chief of staff can order local law enforcement in a sovereign state to do — I almost cursed — anything, and it's all not like maybe I missed some reporting that there has been some order or request made from federal authorities," Goldberg said.

Miller, the architect of the Trump administration's aggressive immigration policy, has argued that local law enforcement hasn't cooperated with federal law enforcement — a baseless statement.

"But like the president, never mind the White House chief of staff doesn't get to tell local law enforcement officers to lay down their weapons and surrender. I don't know what the hell that means," Goldberg added.

'Are you a Trump Democrat, sir?' Fetterman stumbles at CNN anchor's direct question

A CNN anchor on Tuesday had a pointed question for Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), who has often broken ranks with Democrats and faced criticism over it.

CNN anchor Kasie Hunt dropped the question during a live interview, asking the sweatshirt-wearing lawmaker about his views on remaining in the Democratic party — despite lingering comments over where his loyalties lie and whether he'd back President Donald Trump's party.

"Sir, I do want to ask you about your own political party, as, of course, Democrats did win on Election Day in November, but of course, had a tough time in the presidential election. And I think I have a big picture question for you, given some of the things that you've said in recent months do you plan on staying a member of the Democratic party for the duration of your political career?" Hunt asked.

"Absolutely," Fetterman responded.

"I mean — I'm not sure why I keep — I have the question. I've been consistently — I would never going to change my party," he added, as the interview cut in and out.

"Are you a Trump Democrat, sir?" Hunt asked.

Fetterman appeared stumped for a moment after the question, then responded.

"I know there's no such thing as a Trump Democrat," he said.

"Well, you know, I just, I ran, you know, I asked a person to run my — my record," Fetterman added. "I have a 94% overall, 94% voting. The Dem line, 94%. I mean, that's, you know, so that's — it's it's a strange place. So, for me, I am going to be very honest. And there's some things I might agree or sometimes I'll disagree. I'm going to follow what I believe happens to be the truth in a situation, but I'm not sure now. So when as a Democrat, I'm not changing my party and my voting record is is exactly, you know, in."

'They're tackling folks': CNN reporter sprints away on live TV as ICE chases protesters

A CNN reporter sprinted away from ICE officers who chased Minneapolis protesters outside a federal facility on Thursday as the community responded to the fatal shooting of 37-year-old mother Renee Nicole Good.

Protests erupted and tensions mounted as CNN's Omar Jimenez ran down the road as the crowd dispersed after a man reportedly threw a water bottle at federal agents. A group charged toward the suspect and appeared to detain him.

"Obviously, a lot of anger over what happened just yesterday. At this point, we've got a little bit of flare up. They are coming. They're coming towards us right now. Stay up. You're good, you're good," Jimenez said, running back with the crowd during the live broadcast.

"So they're pushing folks back right now. As you can see behind me there, they've deployed some form of crowd repellent just in the last few seconds here," he added. "And look, this has been a lot of what we've seen over the course of the day. Someone just threw a water bottle towards those agents, which really — they're heading into the crowd right now. We are going to back up. They are moving, truly sprinting into the crowd, and they are tackling folks."

Several fights broke out among the agents and protesters. Multiple people were body slammed and detained, CNN reported. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced Thursday that he had authorized the Minnesota National Guard to be on standby to support local law enforcement.

'Guns drawn!' Tear gas engulfs angry crowd in tense ICE protest

Masked ICE agents were drawing closer to protesters in Minneapolis on Thursday, firing tear gas on the crowd gathering in response to the fatal shooting of 37-year-old mother Renee Nicole Good.

CNN's Laura Coates reported how tensions were rising on the ground as questions mounted over what happened between now identified ICE agent Jonathan Ross and Good, who was driving in her Honda Pilot when Ross reportedly fired three shots at her through her vehicle windows.

"The ICE agents coming down, guns drawn right now," Coates said. "Some sort of agents trying to counteract right now, trying to get their colleagues into it right now as they're spraying something into the air right now. People are concerned."

While speaking with CNN anchor Kasie Hunt, Coates reported tear gas hitting the crowd.

"A lot of tension. We've got people around right now about 40 or so ICE agents that are out here in the area," she said. "There is something that is in the air causing you to cough a little bit. They are retreating right now as the crowd is coming closer and closer. They are retreating back in one single line, holding the line as they're walking right now. You have people who are close and they're continuing to yell, 'Back.' People are covering their mouths."

'Aghast at what they saw': CNN anchor drops stunning revelation from DHS insiders

People within President Donald Trump's Department of Homeland Security on Thursday are reportedly appalled by what they saw in the video showing the moment an ICE agent shot and killed a Minneapolis mother inside her car.

CNN anchor Brianna Keilar described the number of questions raised within Trump's own agency following Vice President JD Vance's comments suggesting that 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good was to blame for the fatal shooting, and his complaining about the media over questions surrounding the actions of the ICE officer, since identified as Jonathan Ross.

"We are listening there to Vice President JD Vance, who vehemently blamed Renee Nicole Good for her own death, stressed robust actions that are going to take place for federal fraud investigations in Minnesota. But not much about an investigation into what happened when it came to Good's killing," Keilar said.

In 2022, federal law enforcement agencies prohibited officers from shooting at moving vehicles and updated training policies to include that standard. The Trump administration has cited that Ross reportedly feared for his life, and Vance claimed that he had immunity in the fatal shooting.

"Even as he was lambasting the press for media coverage of all of this, there are a number of people inside of DHS who are aghast at what they saw in that video, and we need to be clear about that," Keilar added. "We are reporting what we have heard from sources. We are reporting what law enforcement, former law enforcement sources familiar with use of force protocols are saying and questions that they are raising about how this was carried out."