As New York Times columnist and CNN political commentator Charles Blow appeared on Thursday's CNN Tonight, the liberal analyst had another of his infamous blow-up episodes. This time, he targeted fellow CNN commentator Kayleigh McEnany after she dared to touch his arm in a friendly manner before criticizing his negative attacks on President Donald Trump.
Blow griped: "The fact that you touched me before you said that is wrong. Don't do that. Don't do that. ... No, no, no, ma'am, no, ma'am, don't do that. Don't touch me and then launch into your 'sinister motivations' diatribe. That's not going to happen tonight, ma'am." Toward the end of the heated exchange, after McEnany lamented, "You said I'm not even allowed to touch you," Blow exclaimed, "No, you're not!" over and over again for a total of eight times.
Host Don Lemon introduced the segment with a clip of President Trump complaining about his CNN show. Lemon turned to McEnany and posed: "He said he doesn't watch CNN, but then he watches this show. So I'm glad he's watching. ... You're a longtime Trump supporter. You're on my show all the time. What's your response?"
After the conservative analyst thanked Lemon for being "kind" and "fair" to her in her appearances, she turned toward Blow, who was seated at her right, smiled, and touched his arm before being critical of left-wing commentators repeatedly accusing the President of having "sinister" motives. McEnany:
I think some of my left-wing counterparts are very unfair to Trump. I think anytime there's any sort of vagueness or gaps in the facts -- when there's leaks, for instance -- they insert sinister suspicion where it does not belong. I don't think it' s you, but I do think some of my (turns and looks at Charles Blow a second time) left-leaning commentators who I disagree with ideologically do that.
Blow then began his response: "The fact that you touched me before you said that is wrong."
The other panel members initially believed he was just joking as Lemon and former New York Lieutenant Governor Betsy McCaughey could be heard laughing, and McEnany smiled. But as his ranting continued, it became clear that Blow was again living up to his reputation for being thin-skinned.
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Sounding serious, Blow added, "Don't do that. Don't do that."
Trying to be cordial, McEnany responded: "Well, I think everyone has to be friends."
The liberal commentator continued building up his rant as he added: "No, no, no, ma'am, no, ma'am, don't do that. Don't touch me and then launch into your 'sinister motivations' diatribe. That's not going to happen tonight, ma'am."
McEnany, still trying to be pleasant and joke about it, responded: "I didn't realize there was a one-inch barrier where I'm not allowed to get close to you, Charles Blow. But now I know, so I'll scoot over this way a tad bit."
Blow again told her, "Don't touch me," as he responded: "You can scoot -- you can scoot till you fall off that ledge. What I'm telling you is: Don't touch me and then launch into your 'sinister' thing."
McEnany then complained about the inability of some liberals to be civil and cordial with people they disagree with:
Okay, see, this, Charles, this is the problem. This is the problem. What you just said to me is a lot like Maxine Waters said today when she said, "Look, don't ask to meet with me, President Trump. I don't even want to meet with you." We're all Americans. Maybe you don't feel that way. We have one President. We should all want him to succeed, and we should all be friends at the end of the day, and we should hug it out, and if you don't want to do that, you don't have to do that.
Blow, who has a history of hating it when people interrupt him while he is speaking, tried to cut in: "You're about -- you're about -- you're about -- you're about -- you're about to turn this from a civil conversation into me-"
After McEnany added, "Because we're all Americans. Because we're all Americans," Blow was offended that she was making a "very personal attack" on him because he thought she was suggesting he does not think of himself as an American: "No, no, no, ma'am. That's a very personal attack to say that I don't believe that I am an American -- maybe I don't believe that I am an American. Don't do that."
After McEnany recalled, "You said I'm not even allowed to touch you," his rant continued: "No, you're not! No, you're not! No, you're not! No, you're not! No, you're not! No, you're not! No, you're not! No, you're not!"
By this point, Lemon could be heard blandly trying to cut in. The back and forth between McEnany and Blow then ended:
MCENANY: That's very sad, Charles.
BLOW: Sad (inaudible) if you want it to be sad. I'm telling you, "Don't do that."
Kayleigh McEnany is just the latest of several other guests and CNN panel members who have faced the wrath of Charles Blow, with others including CNN analyst Paris Dennard, Jeff Roorda of the St. Louis Police Officers Association, and former Georgia Congressman and CNN analyst Jack Kingston.
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Thursday, February 16, CNN Tonight:
DON LEMON: He said he doesn't watch CNN, but then he watches this show. So I'm glad he's watching.
FORMER LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR BETSY MCCAUGHEY (R-NY): How can he resist? How can he resist?
LEMON: Exactly. You're a longtime Trump supporter. You're on my show all the time. What's your response?
KAYLEIGH MCENANY: Look, I mean, you're always very kind to me, and I'm on here a lot. And you've given me a lot of time and are fair to me.
(Kayleigh McEnany smiles, turns to her right and looks at Charles Blow, and lightly puts her hand on his arm.)
MCENANY: I think some of my left-wing counterparts are very unfair to Trump. I think anytime there's any sort of vagueness or gaps in the facts -- when there's leaks, for instance -- they insert sinister suspicion where it does not belong. I don't think it' s you, but I do think some of my (turns and look at Charles Blow) left-leaning commentators who I disagree with ideologically do that.
CHARLES BLOW, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: The fact that you touched me before you said that is wrong.
(Lemon can be heard laughing. Betsy McCaughey exclaims, "Ooooh!' and laughs.)
BLOW: Don't do that. Don't do that.
MCENANY: Well, I think everyone has to be friends.
BLOW: No, no, no, ma'am, no, ma'am, don't do that. Don't touch me and then launch into your "sinister motivations" diatribe. That's not going to happen tonight, ma'am.
MCENANY: I didn't realize there was a one-inch barrier where I'm not allowed to get close to you, Charles Blow. But now I know, so I'll scoot over this way a tad bit.
BLOW: You can scoot -- you can scoot till you fall off that ledge. What I'm telling you is: Don't touch me and then launch into your "sinister" thing.
MCENANY: Okay, see, this, Charles, this is the problem. This is the problem. What you just said to me is a lot like Maxine Waters said today when she said, "Look, don't ask to meet with me, President Trump. I don't even want to meet with you." We're all Americans. Maybe you don't feel that way. We have one President. We should all want him to succeed, and we should all be friends at the end of the day, and we should hug it out, and if you don't want to do that, you don't have to do that.
BLOW: You're about -- you're about -- you're about -- you're about -- you're about to turn this from a civil conversation into me-
MCENANY: Because we're all Americans.
BLOW: No, no, no, ma'am.
MCENANY: Because we're all Americans.
BLOW: That's a very personal attack to say that I don't believe that I am an American -- maybe I don't believe that I am an American. Don't do that.
MCENANY: You said I'm not even allowed to touch you.
BLOW: No, you're not!
MCENANY: Just like what Maxine Waters was saying.
BLOW: No, you're not! No, you're not! No, you're not! No, you're not! No, you're not! No, you're not! No, you're not!
MCENANY: That's very sad, Charles.
LEMON: Okay, okay, okay, okay, all right. Go ahead, so-
BLOW: Sad (inaudible) if you want it to be sad. I'm telling you, "Don't do that."
LEMON: Go ahead.
BETSY MCCAUGHEY: The President is taking a lot of guff today...
