On Thursday's CNN Newsroom, host Brooke Baldwin devoted almost three minutes to an effort by the liberal group MoveOn.org to rename the street in New York City where Trump Tower is located so that it would be named after former President Barack Obama -- all in an effort to "kick" President Donald Trump "in the shin," in the words of the woman in charge.
At 3:40 p.m. Eastern, Baldwin introduced the segment:
President Trump's preoccupation with his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, is on display in everything from his tweets to his TV appearances to his rollback of Obama-era policies. But if you think 44 is on Trump's mind now, that is nothing compared to what supporters of a new petition have planned. They want to rename that stretch of 5th Avenue right here in Manhattan that is home to Trump Tower as "President Barack H. Obama Avenue."
She added: "Yes, the petition which was launched on MoveOn.org last October is now closing in on its goal of 300,000 signatures."
The CNN host then brought in peititon organizer Elizabeth Rowin and immediately inquired with great interest: "You started this -- you thought it would be funny or a joke at first. Tell me."
After Rowin described it as an effort to "troll the troll king" and "poke the giant in the eye," Baldwin took a moment to inform viewers that normally it is not possible to name a street after someone until after their passing, and then read a quote from New York Councilman Keith Powers (D) suggesting Obama is too good to have his name displayed near Trump's: "'President Obama embodies the best of our political system and leaves a remarkable legacy. The classiest President of our time deserves better than being honored next to the home of Donald Trump.'"
After Baldwin read the quote slamming Trump, she asked her guest how she would react to that sentiment, leading Rowin to assert: "The purpose of it is that it's to irk Trump and to cause him, you know, to bother hm because he dislikes Obama so much and has done so much to ruin Obama's legacy, so why not? Kick him in the shin a little."
Baldwin then played ciips of correspondent Jeanne Moos getting reactions from some New Yorkers, with one arguing that it would be more important to "get out and vote," leading Rowin to respond that "2020 will be all about overthrowing Donald Trump and the GOP complicit Congress.
To close out this small instance of gaslighting that surely pleased CNN bosses, Baldwin closed by jokingly asking her guest if she had heard from either the mayor of New York or from President Trump.
