FNC host Greg Gutfeld made the right move on the rhetorical pool table during Wednesday’s The Five, knocking Brian Stelter as “CNN’s cue ball of concern” after his hissy fit about President Trump skipping Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner (WHCD), which Gutfeld dubbed an “orgy” of “sweat lemmings complimenting their shared opinions.”
“CNN’s cue ball of concern, Brian Stelter, slammed Donald Trump for skipping this year's correspondents' dinner,” Gutfeld began, teeing up a clip flagged Tuesday at NewsBusters in which Stelter decried Stelter skipping the WHCD to attend a rally was an “attack against the media.”
Gutfeld muttered “oh jeez” after the clip, remarking that “Brian is taking this attack on the press shtick to crazy heights and no offense but maybe skipping a meal now and then might not be a bad thing for some people in the press.”
He then really backed the truck up over the WHCD a few more times for good measure (click “expand”):
As for schmoozing, being useful? No. For us, this dinner is just an orgy of self-congratulation with sweaty lemmings complimenting their shared opinions while peering over their shoulder to see what coked-up, third tiered celebrity might stumble into the stinky overcrowded mess hall. Trust me, the halitosis is so thick you could cut it with a cake knife....Why go to a place when the entire theme will be “orange man bad,” featuring the same moronic platitudes expressed by the same lunatics who’ve never offered a thought that might offend their tight circled.
Before opening up the topic to his four co-hosts, Gutfeld suggested that an author or comedian who doesn’t fit into their liberal world view be the featured entertainment instead. He also acknowledged it’s alleged purposes as a charity event, but then dropped another truth bomb: “But by skipping the dinner, Trump has stripped away the novelty that turned the original charity event into a thirst-fest for spotlight-chasing lollipops. He made it great again. It's now about journalism. No wonder they are miserable.”
Speaking to co-host Dana Perino, Gutfeld told her that the WHCD “became events for people like Avenatti, you know, the flame of the moment, that would show up” and be the talk of the party amongst people who are supposed to be covering and holding to account.
“Here’s the thing. He’s not coming to the dinner. Let it go, guys. So, just let it go,” Perino stated.
When Perino tried to be nice to the Stelter’s of the world, Gutfeld refused to cut them slack: “They get to sulk and he gets to look at people sulking. It's like they got stood up for the prom.”
Gutfeld and co-host Jesse Watters then had this funny exchange (click “expand”):
WATTERS: It is — it is — you know, out of respect, you shouldn’t really be talking about people’s physical characteristics, Greg.
GUTFELD: Ah, thank you.
WATTERS: I am above all of that.
GUTFELD: I know you are.
WATTERS: I would never do anything like that. [GUTFELD LAUGHS] But, you know, he — I also don't like when grown men seem so concerned and upset about things.
GUTFELD: Yes.
WATTERS: It's like — it’s like you’re a grown man.
GUTFELD: Yeah.
WATTERS: He’s constantly offended. What grown men do you know that are constantly offended?
PERINO: Who are you talking about?
WATTERS: The guy on CNN.
[PANEL LAUGHS]
PERINO: I got you.
WATTERS: Brian Stelter.
PERINO: No, I got you.
Fill-in co-host Emily Compagno was asked if she would go, to which she said she wasn’t. So, Gutfeld made this eyebrow-raising quip: “Gee, you know what? You will miss getting hit on by Jeffrey Toobin.”
As the newcomer, Compagno had some thoughts on Stelter’s nonsense:
I will say that I found it interesting that Stelter focused — what he focuses on everyday in terms of tearing apart, which is this administration, then why would he care so much if they come? Cause he says the two reasons to come are to celebrate the First Amendment and raise money for the journalism scholarship. Attending does not preclude either of those and, last time I checked, he says he celebrates the First Amendment daily with his reporting.
To see the relevant transcript from FNC’s The Five on April 24, click “expand.”
FNC’s The Five
April 24, 2019
5:38 p.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: CNN’s Brian Stelter: Trump Admin Skipping White House Correspondents’ Dinner Is “Attack” Against Media]
GREG GUTFELD: CNN’s cue ball of concern, Brian Stelter, slammed Donald Trump for skipping this year's correspondents' dinner.
BRIAN STELTER [on CNN Newsroom with Brooke Baldwin, 04/23/19]: In the past, presidents have shown up even if they were angry at the press at any given time and, importantly, it’s useful for White House aide to smooze with reporters.
BROOKE BALDWIN [on CNN Newsroom with Brooke Baldwin, 04/23/19]: Yeah.
STELTER [on CNN Newsroom with Brooke Baldwin, 04/23/19]: It’s helpful for us to get to our sources. There’s some value in these sorts of festive events. [SCREEN WIPE] look, it’s yet another example of what we’re seeing. This administration’s attack against the media takes many forms.
GUTFELD: Oh jeez. So now skipping a dinner is an attack on the media? Brian is taking this attack on the press shtick to crazy heights. And no offense but may be skipping a meal now and then might not be a bad thing for some people in the press.
JESSE WATTERS: Greg!
GUTFELD: I include myself.
WATTERS: Okay.
GUTFELD: That's why I'm walking more, Jesse.
WATTERS: Okay
GUTFELD: As for schmoozing, being useful? No. For us, this dinner is just an orgy of self-congratulation with sweaty lemmings complimenting their shared opinions while peering over their shoulder to see what coked-up, third tiered celebrity might stumble into the stinky overcrowded mess hall. Trust me, the halitosis is so thick you could cut it with a cake knife. Of course, some will say Trump's a coward for avoiding this clown show, but that’s now cowardice. It’s common sense. Why go to a place when the entire theme will be “orange man bad,” featuring the same moronic platitudes expressed by the same lunatics who’ve never offered a thought that might offend their tight circled. Here's a thought. Why not hire host who doesn't appear at the predictable jokes. Imagine Jordan Peterson, Joe Rogan, Dave Rubin. That's the real cowardice, being afraid to challenge the media mob orthodoxy. “But Greg, it’s for charity.” True. But by skipping the dinner, Trump has stripped away the novelty that turned the original charity event into a thirst-fest for spotlight-chasing lollipops. He made it great again. It's now about journalism. No wonder they are miserable. You know what? Dana, do you know this event, it’s supposed to be for charity. And that's good.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Trump to Skip “Boring” WH Correspondents’ Dinner]
DANA PERINO: It started that way.
GUTFELD: But you know what it became? It became events for people like Avenatti, you know, the flame of the moment, that would show up and be —
PERINO: And you know people who would invite Avenatti.
GUTFELD: Yes.
PERINO: You know them very well. That's exactly what I'm talking about. I went six years in a row with the Bush administration.
GUTFELD: Yes, exactly.
PERINO: I'm not a night owl.
GUTFELD: No, you’re not.
PERINO: It was like one of the —
GUTFELD: You’re a night peep.
PERINO: — but I did like to see the folks. I did like to see people. That was fun. It was always colder than you thought it was going to be, so you dress up. It was miserable. Here’s the thing. He’s not coming to the dinner. Let it go, guys.
GUTFELD: Yes. Yes.
PERINO: So, just let it go. But also they do have a point. It's not like he's just skipping the dinner like “oh, I’ve got something.” He's going to go to a rally and he’s going to say I came here instead of being with them” and he's going to attack the media. So that’s their problem.
GUTFELD: No, it’s win-win. They get to sulk and he gets to look at people sulking. It's like they got stood up for the prom.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Trump Snubs Correspondents’ Dinner; President Will Hold MAGA Rally Instead]
WATTERS: Yeah. They ruined the White House correspondent's dinner party and now they are complaining that Trump’s not going. They’ve been brutal to him and so he doesn't care anymore. And this thing peaked a long time ago. They used to have better celebrities. They used to have better comedians. I went a couple years ago. It peeked then. [PANEL LAUGHS] And now I don’t go anymore. It is — it is — you know, out of respect, you shouldn’t really be talking about people’s physical characteristics, Greg.
GUTFELD: Ah, thank you.
WATTERS: I am above all of that.
GUTFELD: I know you are.
WATTERS: I would never do anything like that. [GUTFELD LAUGHS] But, you know, he — I also don't like when grown men seem so concerned and upset about things.
GUTFELD: Yes.
WATTERS: It's like — it’s like you’re a grown man.
GUTFELD: Yeah.
WATTERS: He’s constantly offended. What grown men do you know that are constantly offended?
PERINO: Who are you talking about?
WATTERS: The guy on CNN.
[PANEL LAUGHS]
PERINO: I got you.
WATTERS: Brian Stelter.
PERINO: No, I got you.
GUTFELD: Hey, hey, Juan, the good news about this event is they’re having, like, a journalistic historian —
JUAN WILLIAMS: Ron Chernow.
GUTFELD: — yeah, yeah, so it's going back to its roots. So, once again, Donald Trump has improved something.
WILLIAMS: Is that right?
GUTFELD: He’s made the correspondence and a great again. Are you going? Are you going?
WILLIAMS: I — I don’t think go. I go usually. I haven't followed. I have to check it out. I've been invited to a bunch of parties. I have responded, so my feeling is that, you know, I agree with what Dana is saying. I think he uses that to play to right-wing grievances. “Oh, the President is so evil.”
PERINO: Oh, I didn’t say that.
[PANEL LAUGHS]
GUTFELD: You did not say that.
WILLIAMS: She just said he’s going to go out — he’s going to go out on the road —
PERINO: What do you mean?
GUTFELD: He’s always — you know what he does, he is like the nonsense regurgitate her. He takes what you say and then spits it out and it mean something different.
WILLIAMS: Well, here’s what I heard. I heard her say that he's gonna go to the rallies and he’s going to say the press is terrible and I’m here with you — I’m here with you. I’m not there with those evil people at the press. But he’s the guy who talks about enemy of press. He’s the guy who says fake news, and it turns out, according to the Mueller report, he's telling more lies about the news than the media is telling.
WATTERS: Oh yeah. Juan, no collision, how is that? What do you think?
WILLIAMS: Oh, no, how about this? You know, Trump Tower — oh, I wasn't trying to fire Jim Comey.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Trump to Skip “Boring” WH Correspondents’ Dinner]
GUTFELD: It's about the Correspondent’s Dinner. Emily, you are — you are new to this world. Would you — if you — would you go? You would probably like it.
PERINO: Aren’t you going?
WATTERS: She would definitely go.
EMILY COMPAGNO: I’m — I’m not.
PERINO: Oh, you’re not going.
COMPAGNO: No, I’m not attending.
PERINO: But, I mean, she lives in Seattle.
GUTFELD: Gee, you know what? You will miss getting hit on by Jeffrey Toobin.
COMPAGNO: You made it sound really exciting, definitely, in your intro, really enjoyable. I will say that I found it interesting that Stelter focused — what he focuses on everyday in terms of tearing apart, which is this administration, then why would he care so much if they come? Cause he says the two reasons to come are to celebrate the First Amendment and raise money for the journalism scholarship. Attending does not preclude either of those and, last time I checked, he says he celebrates the First Amendment daily with his reporting.
WATTERS: Well, he says he wants to schmooze with White House officials, so —
GUTFELD: I hate schmoozing.
COMPAGNO: And that too.
PERINO: Oh, I think it’s funny because the President said no one from the White House will go.
WILLIAMS: Yeah, that’s it.
PERINO: And the point — there are a lot of people from the administration in the White House who talk to reporters —
GUTFELD: Yeah.
PERINO: — off the record. And that's always, like, very enjoyable and we encourage that.
WILLIAMS: Including the President.
