CNN's Brooke Baldwin Confuses Elijah Cummings with John Lewis

December 11th, 2014 4:27 PM

Covering a live congressional staffer walk-out to protest the decisions by grand juries in Missouri and New York to fail to indict police officers in the Michael Brown and Eric Garner fatalities, CNN's Brooke Baldwin mistook Maryland Democratic Congressman Elijah Cummings for Rep. John Lewis (D-Georgia).

The anchor corrected herself moments later, with the aid of guest and Democratic strategist Donna Brazile.

Watch the video and read the relevant transcript below: 

BROOKE BALDWIN: The gentleman who was wearing the ball cap, Congressman John Lewis, a key figure in the civil rights movement knew and worked alongside Dr. King. And so-- look at that [staffers on camera raising hands up in air] What has become a symbol, one of this movement, hands up. You can hear the cameras' clicks. The photos. What a moment here on the steps of the Capitol.

As we look at these pictures, let me bring in two more voices here. I have chief congressional correspondent Dana Bash and CNN contributor and Democratic strategist Donna Brazile. And, um. I'm being corrected. That wasn't John Lewis. Was John Lewis there, guys? Was he spotted at all? 

DONNA BRAZILE: That was Elijah Cummings. 

BALDWIN: That was Elijah Cummings. Elijah Cummings, still, a member of Congress nonetheless. Forgive me. I was given bad information.

 

This reminds us of an oldie but a goodie from then-MSNBC anchor Contessa Brewer back in 2009:

Showing that Reverends Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson have become interchangeable, in the 2:00PM ET hour on MSNBC, anchor Contessa Brewer mistakenly introduced Jackson as Sharpton: “Joining me now to talk about this and the nation’s real problem of joblessness, the Reverend Al Sharpton....I’m so sorry, the – the script in front of me said Reverend Al Sharpton...I know who you are, Reverend Jackson.”