Few if any other cable news analyst, commentator, or host has this issue with maintaining a level of decorum on set or respect for their fellow guests the way that CNN’s Angela Rye does.
On Wednesday night, Rye’s disdain for respectful discourse surfaced on Erin Burnett OutFront as she insisted that “America has never been great” and not only rolled her eyes but turned away from the camera at the notion of Trump campaign board member Gina Loudon have an adopted minority son with Down Syndrome.
Rye first was incensed by Loudon’s points about the lack of diversity within the Trump White House and that while she wants to see more diversity there, it’s been difficult for anyone to express even tepid support for the President without being ostracized.
Nonetheless, Loudon argued that presidents not having a minority-laden stuff didn’t exactly guarantee success/failure as the real focus should be on the positive policies coming as a result of the Trump presidency.
Given a chance to respond, Rye lashed out (click “expand” for more):
RYE: I think I got stuck at Gina saying that American presidents have done a great deal for people of color like ending slavery? Like I think I'm stuck in 1865 right now. Like I can't believe that's the justification.
LOUDON: That was a Republican president.
RYE: You know what, sis? And that's great, but you just really missed the mark. For you to have to say, right, that we don't necessarily need diversity in this White House.
LOUDON: That's not what I said. That is not what I said.
RYE: Let me just tell you what I heard because I don't think you hardly understand.
LOUDON: No because I want to address my words, Angela.
RYE: White — because Gina, what you're not going to keep doing is talking over me because my black life matters and so does my voice. So, what you’re going to do right now is listen to what I'm saying to you. What you said was deeply offensive and what I am telling you is you can't say, at least you shouldn't feel comfortable saying it in 2018 that, you know, this White House not having diversity can be akin to presidents who didn't have any black people on their staff....but for slavery, freeing slaves. Like that's not okay in 2018....Ma’am, I let you talk through all of that nonsense. I just need you to let me finish my point[.]
Rye insisted that Loudon should kill “those talking points tonight” because “they should never be resurrected” and that she shouldn’t dare cite HUD Secretary Ben Carson as a black member of the administration.
Loudon told Rye that “I understand your feelings on this” and Rye said “no, you don’t” on race, so Loudon revealed this as Rye rolled her eyes, sighed, and turned her head away from the camera (click “expand” to see more)
LOUDON: I have — I have an adopted minority son, yes, I do, who happens to have Down's Syndrome and he experiences bigotry every single day in a myriad of ways, not just skin color, but also because of his disability and I understand that you and I don't agree, but I would not support a president I believed would be a threat to his future. So, what I would like to have —
RYE: Well, you are.
LOUDON: — is a constructive conversation and I think, you know, I think points like yours that are — that are focusing only on the negative and not even acknowledging 700,000 new jobs for black people in this country, record low unemployment[.]
Okay, so to recap, Rye basically mocked her guest for having a minority son with Down Syndrome and suggested that Loudon is a danger to her own child’s future. How tasteless.
It got worse as Loudon brought up New York Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo’s insistence that America was never great and Rye agreed as she shouted over Loudon
And America has never been great. It is not great because people like you come on and lie for the president of the United States and then — and then — and then tout, bring out your son as an example? You should be completely ashamed of yourself.
All the while, Burnett did nothing to interject or call out Rye’s immature antics. This is CNN.
(h/t: our friend Amber Athey with the Daily Caller)
To see the relevant transcript from CNN’s Erin Burnett OutFront on August 15, click “expand.”
CNN’s Erin Burnett OutFront
August 15, 2018
7:30 p.m. Eastern
ERIN BURNETT: Gina, let me start with you. You know, in the context we're talking about here, all this discussion about Omarosa, and whether there's an n-word tape, and Kellyanne Conway not able to say the last name of the one African-American she could label who worked with her in the White House, it would seem a simple question, how many black staffers work in the White House? She couldn't even give a rough number. Does that disappoint you?
GINA LOUDON: You know, what disappoints me is the division and the fact that we're having to count people based on their skin color, I don't like that and I think that, you know, you look back at our history, we have a pretty amazing history of overcoming slavery, of expanding civil rights, of women's rights, and a lot of those things happened under American presidents who didn't have any minorities at all on their White Houses. Thank God we do. I looked over the list of people I know there and about one-third are a minority or women. Those are great strides. Could they be better? Absolutely and I know — I talked to some of my friends in the White House tonight, and they said, yes, they would love more diversity in the White House. The problem is when you have someone come out, and defend the President or even say they want to sit down and have a conversation with him, for example, Kanye West, they're completely annihilated in the press and so, there is a trepidation there. So, I think if we could focus on the fact that we would like to build on that and work on it together, I know the administration is open to that.
BURNETT: So, your number is roughly a third and that counts women, too. So, you're saying two-thirds are white men, and one-third are diverse in some way, but you're counting women in there?
LOUDON: Well, I don’t know — you know.
BURNETT: Just to make sure I understand.
LOUDON: Erin, if you look at the comms department, as far as my count, I did this cursory before the show here, but Hogan Gidley is the only white guy I can even find in the comms department. So, I think it depends department to department. It's going to vary. But I think the bottom line is the policy that comes out of this White House, 700,000 new jobs, record unemployment for all minorities and women.
BURNETT: Okay.
LOUDON: I mean, you know the list and it's a good list. And there's more coming out.
BURNETT: Okay.
LOUDON: There's new — on Dodd-Frank repeal. There's great news coming out about small business leaders, many of them are minorities. So, there's a lot of good news, Erin.
BURNETT: Angela?
ANGELA RYE: I think I got stuck at Gina saying that American presidents have done a great deal for people of color like ending slavery? Like I think I'm stuck in 1865 right now. Like I can't believe that's the justification.
LOUDON: That was a Republican president.
RYE: You know what, sis? And that's great, but you just really missed the mark. For you to have to say, right, that we don't necessarily need diversity in this White House.
LOUDON: That's not what I said. That is not what I said.
RYE: Let me just tell you what I heard because I don't think you hardly understand.
LOUDON: No because I want to address my words, Angela.
RYE: White — because Gina, what you're not going to keep doing is talking over me because my black life matters and so does my voice. So, what you’re going to do right now is listen to what I'm saying to you. What you said was deeply offensive and what I am telling you is you can't say, at least you shouldn't feel comfortable saying it in 2018 that, you know, this White House not having diversity can be akin to presidents who didn't have any black people on their staff —
LOUDON: No. They do have diversity.
RYE: — but for slavery, freeing slaves. Like that's not okay in 2018.
LOUDON: Thank God it happened.
RYE: Ma’am, I let you talk through all of that nonsense. I just need you to let me finish my point and my point is this. You're not going to be able to successfully name one black person who works in the West Wing because you know what? Omarosa didn't even work in the West Wing. So, regardless of your points about slavery which are nonsense, I hope you RIP those talking points tonight, they should never be resurrected. I'm telling you that it’s a problem in this White House with the staff and the reason is it's slim pickings. You know why? Because nobody wants to go work for a racist. There's not a single senior black person in the White House, and don't you dare say to me Ben Carson because he doesn't work there and how dare his gifted hands who’s a brain surgeon and who has never done anything on a construction project become the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. This whole administration is nonsense just like your talking points.
BURNETT: Go ahead, Gina.
LOUDON: You know, Angela, I understand your feelings on this but here's my point.
RYE: No, you don't.
LOUDON: I have — I have an adopted minority son, yes, I do, who happens to have Down's Syndrome and he experiences bigotry every single day in a myriad of ways, not just skin color, but also because of his disability and I understand that you and I don't agree, but I would not support a president I believed would be a threat to his future. So, what I would like to have —
RYE: Well, you are.
LOUDON: — is a constructive conversation and I think, you know, I think points like yours that are — that are focusing only on the negative and not even acknowledging 700,000 new jobs for black people in this country, record low unemployment and the rest of it, it is tantamount to what Andrew Cuomo said today that upset me, too, that America has never been great. Let’s focus on what we’ve —
RYE: And America has never been great.
LOUDON: — done well.
RYE: It is not great because people like you —
LOUDON: Let’s focus on what —
RYE: — come on and lie
LOUDON: — let’s focus on —
RYE: — for the president of the United States and then — and then — and then tout, bring out your son as an example?
LOUDON: Could you focus on —
RYE: You should be completely ashamed of yourself.
LOUDON: — what America is doing well and how about look at what we can do and agree to build on it —
RYE: You know what America is doing well? They’re getting ready to turn the House and the Senate —
LOUDON: — rather than —
RYE: — over to somebody who can legislate.
LOUDON: — rather than call each other names, and cut each other down and be divisive. I don't think this is —
RYE: Starts at the top, Gina.
LOUDON: — I think America is tired of the division, Angela.
RYE: Starts at the top, Gina. Guess what? As soon as your President stops calling people names, maybe he’ll set a better example for everyone else.
BURNETT: All right. We'll leave it there. Thank you both very much.
