In a late Thursday, early Friday edition of Cuomo Prime Time, liberal CNN contributors Angela Rye and April Ryan both spewed bile toward conservatives as Rye declared that President Donald Trump's judicial nominees "may be pro-life, but they want to kill off everyone else," and Ryan condemned Rush Limbaugh as a "bigot" and "racist" because he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
As the group discussed President Trump's recent speech to a group of conservative Christian supporters, Rye recommended that Democrats should write off winning back white former Democratic voters and instead go after minorities. Suggesting that President Trump's supporters do not care about morality, she accused pro-life judges of wanting to kill others as she added:
Morals be damned -- that is not what drives Donald Trump's voting base -- it is bigotry, it is fear, it is judges who have lifetime appointments that may be pro-life, but they want to kill off everyone else -- our civil rights -- folks, they want to ensure the death penalty continues to exist, all of these other things that fly in the face of morality and what I believe is a social justice gospel, which is the one for the God that I serve who is also Jesus Christ.
A bit later, after conservative contributor Scott Jennings talked up the possibility that President Trump will win over more minorities and women in the next election, host Chris Cuomo went to Ryan for her response: "How many of your friends out there, April Ryan, are feeling the suggestion?" The CNN contributor tore into Limbaugh as she began:
APRIL RYAN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Not -- zero -- goose egg. And I'm going to tell you why. If there was a chance for that, the State of the Union really turned a lot of people off. One, the main issue -- and don't get me wrong, we never wish any ill on anyone who is sick or dying or has cancer -- but for him, in front of the nation, to pander for black voters and then give Rush Limbaugh the highest medal a President can give -- this big -- Rush Limbaugh is a bigot.
As Rye injected, "Absolutely," Ryan continued:
RYAN: Rush Limbaugh is racist. Rush Limbaugh was a birther. And for him to do that -- he could have given not only gold stars to the Tuskegee Airmen, he could have also given him that Presidential Medal of Freedom. This President goes from Charlottesville to s-hole nations to giving the Medal of Freedom for the whole world to see to Rush Limbaugh -- that is a big contradiction that's hypocrisy. The black vote is too precious, and there is a lot to lose and a lot at stake at this moment.
Below is a transcript of the relevant portions of the Friday, February 7, Cuomo Prime Time on CNN:
CNN
Cuomo Prime Time
February 7, 2020
12:40 a.m. Eastern
ANGELA RYE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think it goes right to the heart of what has been the problem of Democrat strategy, and that is to say that they're going to go hard after voters that they lost in 2016. Trying to go and cut into the Republican base is not a good strategy. What is a good strategy is to realize that what's gone is gone, and to buckle down and to get the people who have long been your base, and that is black and brown voters. That is newer voters, young voters, registering new folks, ensuring that folks who have been disenfranchised that are returning citizens can vote.
But to try to go and turn Trump voters who -- as we just saw in the last segment with your hypothetical ask to Scott (Jennings) -- is highly problematic. Morals be damned -- that is not what drives Donald Trump's voting base -- it is bigotry, it is fear, it is judges who have lifetime appointments that may be pro-life, but they want to kill off everyone else -- our civil rights -- folks, they want to ensure the death penalty continues to exist, all of these other things that fly in the face of morality and what I believe is a social justice gospel, which is the one for the God that I serve who is also Jesus Christ.
(...)
CHRIS CUOMO: How many of your friends out there, April Ryan, are feeling the suggestion?
APRIL RYAN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Not -- zero -- goose egg. And I'm going to tell you why. If there was a chance for that, the State of the Union really turned a lot of people off. One, the main issue -- and don't get me wrong, we never wish any ill on anyone who is sick or dying or has cancer -- but for him, in front of the nation, to pander for black voters and then give Rush Limbaugh the highest medal a President can give -- this big -- Rush Limbaugh is a bigot.
RYE: Absolutely.
RYAN: Rush Limbaugh is racist. Rush Limbaugh was a birther. And for him to do that -- he could have given not only gold stars to the Tuskegee Airmen, he could have also given him that Presidential Medal of Freedom. This President goes from Charlottesville to s-hole nations to giving the Medal of Freedom for the whole world to see to Rush Limbaugh -- that is a big contradiction that's hypocrisy. The black vote is too precious, and there is a lot to lose and a lot at stake at this moment.
