On Monday's Erin Burnett Outfront on CNN, during a discussion of reaction to the tape of Donald Trump speaking lewdly about women with Billy Bush, liberal CNN political commentator Angela Rye at one point went berzerk and started shouting when conservative CNN political commentator and Trump supporter Kayleigh McEnany confronted her with reports of Hillary Clinton's attacks on women who made sexual assault accusations against her husband, Bill Clinton.
After McEnany recounted that Clinton had sent private investigators after sexual assault victims, and recalled that she "facilitated his actions," Rye began shouting:
No, she didn't! She -- what -- how did she facilitate it when she wasn't! No, no, no, no, no. Because it's not -- that's rape culture, Kayleigh. You're blaming someone who succumbed to committing adultery on her! We're Christians, so let's talk about what that is!
After McEnany recalled that Hillary Clinton had declined to deny the accusations against her, Rye stopped just short of using profanity has she responded:
But you know why? Because it's F-ing ridiculous, dude. It's so ridiculous. It's crazy. I can't believe y'all. I really can't. Meanwhile, Roger Stone is paying $2,500 of another victim, and that's what you all are going to be proud of? Bought off victims? Give me a break!
The segment began after a report about women who continue to support Trump despite the Billy Bush tape, with host Erin Burnett asking Rye to respond. The liberal commentator began by reading the definition of the term "sexual assault" and recalling that it could be applied to Trump's stated behavior:
I definitely live in a bubble, and the bubble that I live in is one where sexual assault and rape culture is not okay, and that's a bubble I never want to climb out of. I never want to get to a point where someone's words about harmful and offensive touching and groping are okay.
They're not okay. And one of the things that I wanted to do is read quickly just what the definition of a sexual assault is because he denied any type of sexual assault when Anderson asked him about it at the debate last night.
She added:
Sexual assault is any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient. Falling under the definition of sexual assault or sexual activities as forced sexual intercourse, forcible sodomy, child molestation, incest, fondling, and attempted rape. And fondling is clear. If you're grabbing people -- I'm not going to say it -- you're grabbing people in their private areas, that is fondling. That is sexual assault.
After McEnany denied that Trump had actually behaved in the obscene manner that he discussed, and Rye responded: "He has if you listen to the victims," conservative panel member and Trump supporter Paris Dennard took his chance to work in a shot at Bill Clinton. Dennard: "Which victims? Clinton's victims?"
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Monday, October 10, Erin Burnett Outfront on CNN:
7:21 p.m. ET
ANGELA RYE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I definitely live in a bubble, and the bubble that I live in is one where sexual assault and rape culture is not okay, and that's a bubble I never want to climb out of. I never want to get to a point where someone's words about harmful and offensive touching and groping are okay. They're not okay. And one of the things that I wanted to do is read quickly just what the definition of a sexual assault is because he denied any type of sexual assault when Anderson asked him about it at the debate last night.Sexual assault is any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient. Falling under the definition of sexual assault or sexual activities as forced sexual intercourse, forcible sodomy, child molestation, incest, fondling, and attempted rape.
And fondling is clear. If you're grabbing people -- I'm not going to say it -- you're grabbing people in their private areas, that is fondling. That is sexual assault.
KAYLEIGH MCENANY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: He's done none of those things, Angela, and he's really -- just so ironic-
RYE: He has if you listen to the victims
PARIS DENNARD, TRUMP NATIONAL DIVERSITY COALITION MEMBER: Which victims? Clinton's victims?
MCENANY: Clinton's victims, exactly.
RYE: No, no, no, I'm not, I'm sorry, Bill Clinton's not running or office.
MCENANY: This selective outrage that the left is okay with Hillary Clinton, who put private investigators on people who had viable sexual assault claims. It's selective outrage. And you know what? People see through it. That same NBC poll that was taken before the debate, before the apology, that's what it shows -- 60 percent do not believe that this video is disqualifying or have no opinion of it -- 60 percent. He apologized, and most Americans believe in forgiveness.
RYE: Kayleigh, Kayleigh, and that's why I'm talking about -- Kayleigh -- no, most Americans don't believe that -- excuse me, so just really quickly, I know that you all have a road that you have to stay on, but it's also not honest.
MCENANY: We don't have to stay on it.
RYE: Well, you're staying on it.
MCENANY: By choice.
RYE: Well, I'm sorry, the fact of the matter is, Bill Clinton is not running for President of the United States.
MCENANY: But the person who protected him and allowed him and facilitated his actions is.
RYE: I'm not going to let you all continue to say she allowed him.
MCENANY: She was facilitating.
RYE: No, she didn't! She -- what -- how did she facilitate it when she wasn't-
MCENANY: When she -- Angela, calm down, calm down.
RYE: No, no, no, no, no. Because it's not -- that's rape culture, Kayleigh. You're blaming someone who succumbed to committing adultery on her! We're Christians, so let's talk about what that is!
MCENANY: She was accused of facilitating it last night, and she was deafeningly silent. She did not deny it.
RYE: But you know why? Because it's F-ing ridiculous, dude. It's so ridiculous. It's crazy.
DENNARD: All you have to do is play the video tapes of Hillary Clinton-
RYE: I can't believe y'all. I really can't. Meanwhile, Roger Stone is paying $2,500 of another victim, and that's what you all are going to be proud of?
ERIN BURNETT: Let me bring in Paris and Margaret.
RYE: Bought off victims? Give me a break!
BURNETT: Margaret?
MARGARET HOOVER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Look, I mean, selective memory, choosing what you, I mean, there are depositions against Donald Trump also that accuse him of rape. Let's be very clear.
RYE: That's right.
MCENANY: And that case was dismissed.
RYE: No, it's not. There's a hearing on December 16.
