Between Monday and Tuesday, CNN host Brooke Baldwin on two occasions reacted negatively to right-leaning guests who brought up the issue of former President Bill Clinton's history of abusing women with Hillary Clinton choosing to help cover for him rather than siding with the victims.
On Monday's CNN Newsroom, during a discussion of a New York Times report on Donald Trump's interactions with women in the past, when Trump supporter Gina Loudon brought up Bill Clinton having to pay an $850,000 settlement to Paula Jones after harassing her, Baldwin jumped in, injecting: "Okay, let's not go there."
Loudon, who earlier recalled a report that Hillary Clinton has paid women in her employ less than men, concluded by remarking that she should speak out in defense of women her husband has abused. Before moving to liberal guest Angela Rye for a response, Baldwin took time to defend Hillary Clinton herself:
I think the Clinton camp -- and, listen, I would say this either way, just to be fair to both of them -- but I think the Clinton camp would point to, you know, her resume of lifting women up through the years.
On Tuesday afternoon, during a discussion of a Hillary Clinton superpac ad which plays recordings of Trump making unsavory comments about women, after the Trump campaign's Healy Baumgardner brought up the Clinton history, Baldwin jumped in to admonish her:
HEALY BAUMGARDNER, DONALD TRUMP CAMPAIGN: This is an attempt by Hillary Clinton to create a diversion, if you will, away from herself, you know. She has a history of being abusive towards women, you know, specifically the ones that her husband's had extramarital affairs with, so I think it's very hypocritical of her-
BROOKE BALDWIN: Wow, wow, hang on a second. That's where you're going to go in the first 20 seconds?
Below are transcripts of relevant portions of CNN Newsroom with Brooke Baldwin from Monday, May 16, and from Tuesday, May 17:
From Monday, May 16:
2:11 p.m. ET
BROOKE BALDWIN: It seems to me, though, that Mr. Trump does seem, it's fair, and we've heard, you know, also reports he will attack her coming into this fall election, personal and whatnot, and I'm curious to you, though, why is it fair for Mr. Trump to criticize, you know, Secretary Clinton's past, but not his? Shouldn't it be fair both ways?
GINA LOUDON, DONALD TRUMP SUPPORTER, Oh, I think that it is absolutely fair. What I think is not fair is when the story is unfounded, when they tell this woman, "Hey, we're going to-"
BALDWIN: You got to answer the question, though. You got to answer the question. The question is, whether or not Mr. Trump can be critical of Secretary Clinton and the same can be true of her. He seems to think that you can't.
LOUDON: No, I think that we vet both candidates, and I think what's shocking, again, is that there aren't more people coming out of the woodwork to make accusations against this man who was never even a politician. He didn't have any reason to be such a gentleman as the women called him in this story
But what I think is reprehensible is you take someone like Hillary Clinton who has basically danced on the assaults of women -- that are dozens of women, by the way -- that her husband has maligned and assaulted, paying Paula Jones off $850,000 for hush money.
BALDWIN: Okay, let's not go there.
LOUDON: I wish Hillary would come to the defense of these women. Wouldn't it be amazing if Hillary would come to the defense of these women now? Wouldn't that say a lot about what Hillary wants to do for women now if she would come to the defense of these women now that were hurt by her husband?
BALDWIN: I think the Clinton camp -- and, listen, I would say this either way, just to be fair to both of them -- but I think the Clinton camp would point to, you know, her resume of lifting women up through the years.
From Tuesday, May 17:
3:03 p.m. ET
BROOKE BALDWIN: Healy, we know Mr. Trump says with this ad, he is being misquoted, but how do you misquote a recording?
HEALY BAUMGARDNER, DONALD TRUMP CAMPAIGN: Look, I think, look, this is an attempt by Hillary Clinton to create a diversion, if you will, away from herself, you know. She has a history of being abusive towards women, you know, specifically the ones that her husband's had extramarital affairs with, so I think it's very hypocritical of her-
BALDWIN: Wow, wow, hang on a second. That's where you're going to go in the first 20 seconds?
