CNN Newsroom with Alisyn Camerota and Victor Blackwell is usually not a contentious show, but Wednesday’s edition was a little different as Republican strategist David Urban appeared to encourage political commentator S.E. Cupp to “come out of the bubble” on the matter of the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago.
When it came to the raid, Cupp didn’t see what all the fuss is about, “I think this a Trump World talking point that all across the country people are very concerned about the overreach and losing confidence in the FBI and the Justice Department now, that is true amongst -- in MAGA World--, but I think most people across the country think if you didn't leave the White House—”
Urban then interjected, “No, no, no, S.E. come out of the bubble, come out of the bubble, S.E.”
Cupp then continued her point, arguing that it was good that the raid shows a healthy FBI and Justice Department. She also labeled the idea that the FBI could come after regular Americans now “preposterous.”
Urban then pointed out that completely misses the point, “What I'm simply saying is that a wide swath of Americans are very concerned about a historical precedent.”
As Cupp interrupted to declare “I don’t think that’s true,” Urban continued, “this is a Presidential Records Act violation.”
Cupp again interrupted, this time alleging that Trump only has himself to blame, “He set the historical precedent. He set the historical precedent.”
An incredulous Urban then gave Cupp and forgetful CNN viewers a history lesson amidst more crosstalk, “are you kidding me, S.E.? Are you kidding me?... Like, did Hillary-- did they kick down Hillary Clinton's doors to get her server…With—she had top secret-- S.E., could I-- can I finish?... You have top secret information, top secret information on Hillary Clinton's computer, okay?... I'm not sure if you're familiar with how a SCIF works, S.E, but you can’t put top secret information on a computer.”
The charge of the FBI punting on a Democrat’s misdeeds, but going all in on a Republican’s raises serious questions about the FBI, but Cupp didn’t get it, “We don't have to compare and contrast.”
Resenting the idea that simply pointing some of the concerns people have makes him a MAGA stooge, Urban started to conclude his thoughts, “For you to say I'm parroting MAGA World talking points because Republicans writ large are concerned. I think you need to get out and talk to some Republicans, S.E.”
Cupp concluded her thoughts by attempting to portray herself as the principled one, “Hillary’s emails, bad. Trump's documents, bad. Secret service texts, bad. I want to see it all. I'm pretty fair and down the middle on this. I'm not saying one is worse than the other.”
She argued that it was people like Urban who are being the hypocrites, “But I think if you're going to apply that same level of scrutiny to Hillary, we should apply it to Donald Trump, and I don't think people ‘wide swaths of Americans,’ believe that the FBI is corrupt and coming for them because they went for a president who set the precedent for doing things that no other president had ever done before. Some of which may, in fact, be criminal.”
Cupp and the rest of the media just don’t get it. If Trump were to be treated the same way as Hillary Clinton the raid would never have happened. Such double standards do raise questions that should not be dismissed as “MAGA World talking points.”
This segment was sponsored by Invent Help.
Here is a transcript for the August 10 show:
CNN Newsroom with Alisyn Camerota and Victor Blackwell
8/10/2022
2:36 PM ET
S.E. CUPP: I think this a Trump World talking point that all across the country people are very concerned about the overreach and losing confidence in the FBI and the Justice Department now, that is true amongst -- in MAGA World--, but I think most people across the country think if you didn't leave the White House--
DAVID URBAN: No, no, no, S.E. come out of the bubble, come out of the bubble, S.E.
CUPP: -- let me finish. If you didn't leave the White House with classified documents, you don't have to worry that the FBI is coming to raid your home office. I think most people think holding even the president accountable is good. That's a good thing. That's a sign of a healthy -- of a healthy-- Justice Department, and a healthy FBI. I think this Trump World talking point that the FBI is corrupt and the Justice Department is coming for average Americans.
VICTOR BLACKWELL: Yeah, if they did it for Trump, they could do it to you.
CUPP: I mean, this is—this is-- it's preposterous, and I think –
URBAN: Listen, I'm not—I’m not saying-- –
CUPP: We're parroting it as if it's a majority opinion. It's not.
URBAN: Yeah, I'm not going that far, S.E. What I'm simply saying is that a wide swath of Americans are very concerned about a historical precedent.
CUPP: I don’t think that’s true.
URBAN: This is—this is—this a Presidential—this is a Presidential Records Act violation.
CUPP: He set the historical precedent. He set the historical precedent.
URBAN: This is not criminal. This is not-- are you kidding me, S.E.? Are you kidding me?
CUPP: No.
URBAN: Like, did Hillary-- did they kick down Hillary Clinton's doors to get her server--
CUPP: What I said was true. Trump set the precedent.
URBAN: With—she had top secret-- S.E., could I-- can I finish?
CUPP: Sure.
URBAN: You have top secret information, top secret information on Hillary Clinton's computer, okay?
CUPP: Yes.
URBAN: I'm not sure if you're familiar with how a SCIF works, S.E, but you can’t put top secret information on a computer—
CUPP: You don't need to be condescending, David, I know what you know. Trust me.
URBAN: No, I'm not, S.E. I'm just saying it is—it is—simply a much bigger deal. Nobody raided the Clinton house in Chappaqua—
CUPP: We don’t have to—
URBAN: So for you to say I’m parroting—well, hold off—
CUPP: We don't have to compare and contrast.
URBAN: For you to say, hey, S.E., just let me finish. For you to say I'm parroting MAGA World talking points because Republicans writ large are concerned. I think you need to get out and talk to some Republicans, S.E. That’s what I think.
CUPP: You said a wide swath of Americans and I believe--
URBAN: I said Republicans, S.E., Republicans.
CUPP: Hillary's emails—
BLACKWELL: All right, now let S.E. finish.
CUPP: Hillary’s emails, bad. Trump's documents, bad. Secret service texts, bad. I want to see it all. I'm pretty fair and down the middle on this. I'm not saying one is worse than the other. If-- you don't have to. It's all bad. But I think if you're going to apply that same level of scrutiny to Hillary, we should apply it to Donald Trump, and I don't think people “wide swaths of Americans," believe that the FBI is corrupt and coming for them because they went for a president who set the precedent for doing things that no other president had ever done before. Some of which may, in fact, be criminal.
