With MSNBC having already expressed concern Wednesday night about a peaceful gathering of Trump supporters outside Arizona’s Maricopa County Elections Department, CNN hit the panic button just after midnight Eastern Thursday in saying the building would be closing based on the “armed,” YMCA-dancing crowd “chilling a democracy” and causing “a lot of security concerns.”
Prime Time host Chris “Fredo” Cuomo had a starring role, blaming President Trump, denouncing the crowd as an example of how “very often, anger is irrational,” chiding them for not doing their part to “Make America Great Again.”
Rewinding to the start of this sequence, Cuomo tossed to correspondent Kyung Lah inside the elections building by saying she “had drama” with “protestors outside,” making for “something that the people counting have to worry about when they go home.”
Lah immediately expressed discomfort and urgency, telling viewers that “we are just being told that this building is now going to close” and “we are the last news organization allowed to do a live shot here.”
Her tone shifted to one of anger as she exclaimed (click “expand.”):
[T]his is what it's about. This is American democracy. What you are seeing here is the good people of the Maricopa County Elections Department, doing the count. This is the tedious, at times, long, hard work of counting the ballots, making sure the information is correct.
I'm going to swing you over this way. This is my producer, Kim Barriman. She’s talking about how we are going to get out of this building. There is an exit plan being formed because, what's happening beyond those doors right there and you can see that, that is closed up — that shade has been dropped — is that, outside, there is a very sizeable protest. If you look at the aerial pictures from our affiliate, it's very big. This is a small parking lot. This protest has been going on for some time, now. It has fluctuated in time but it is sizeable, as you can see.
Fredo inquired whether the crowd outside had been “affecting what they’re doing” inside in counting votes and, without missing a beat, Lah wondered about what was going to happen to the cars of poll workers: “These people parked in the parking lot. How are they going to get the cars out of there, number one, when they finish this count?”
Reminding us how the left has an aversion to firearms, Lah remarked that “this is a crowd that is armed” with “a number of people out there who have been seen with long guns, with automatic — semiautomatic rifles because this is an open-carry state, so there are a lot of security concerns plus trying to keep these people safe inside.”
Lah was later asked what was the “message” of the Trump crowd, Lah’s fears got even more bizarre with her answer:
You know, it's a lot of chanting. A lot of slogans that we have heard before. The talking about count the vote, stop the vote. You know, that, you know, they want Trump. A lot of flags being waved. Trump flags. You know, it's — we — we heard people singing YMCA for a little while. So, it's just a number of different songs and slogans as — as this keeps continuing.
Note how none of that consisted of looting, rioting, and/or shooting. But again, this was the “fiery but mostly peaceful” network we’re talking about.
After giving his best wishes to Lah and her crew, the roid-raging Fredo hurled invective toward President Trump and his supporters “chilling a democracy” (on the same night he repeatedly talked about themes of civility and shared humanity) (click “expand”)
I got to tell you. You know, Mr. President, I can't believe that you'd be happy with that, on your behalf. Literally, chilling a democracy that you know is fundamental to how we pick our next president. And is that the atmosphere that you want for what Makes America Great Again? What a question for you to answer. It’d be great to hear it. So let's go back to the wall. That's going to be a problem, right? Because, now, you got people doing their job, under stress. Now, they’re leaving. Now, they come back. Maybe, it's going to be delayed and we really have to know because, how Arizona goes will make a difference.
(....)
I mean, the guy has a chance to win and his chance to win, when it's trending the right way, is being compromised by his own people chilling and scaring the people who are doing the counting that might make a difference for the President, himself. I mean, that is why, very often, anger is irrational. It's not even productive for your own aims, here and just to circle back before we move on. Every time we have gotten a dump from Maricopa today, it has been good for President Trump in terms of the ratio for balloting and we have to keep going and watch.
This latest Zuckerville meltdown was made possible thanks to advertisers such as Chevrolet, Consumer Cellular, Liberty Mutual, and Qunol. Follow the links to the MRC’s Conservatives Fight Back page.
To see the relevant CNN transcript from November 5, click “expand.”
CNN Election Night in America Continued
November 5, 2020
12:07 a.m. EasternCHRIS CUOMO: Kyung Lah is in Maricopa County. Very busy there, not just for the counting, Kyung, but you've had drama. You had protestors outside. It's obviously going to be something that the people counting have to worry about when they go home. Take it. What do you have?
KYUNG LAH: Okay. So we are just being told that this building is now going to close. So we are the last news organization allowed to do a live shot here. I — I want to start here because this is what it's about. This is American democracy. What you are seeing here is the good people of the Maricopa County Elections Department, doing the count. This is the tedious, at times, long, hard work of counting the ballots, making sure the information is correct. I'm going to swing you over this way. This is my producer, Kim Barriman. She’s talking about how we are going to get out of this building. There is an exit plan being formed because, what's happening beyond those doors right there and you can see that, that is closed up — that shade has been dropped — is that, outside, there is a very sizeable protest. If you look at the aerial pictures from our affiliate, it's very big. This is a small parking lot. This protest has been going on for some time, now. It has fluctuated in time but it is sizeable, as you can see. The other concern here —
CUOMO: We are showing it to people at home, Kyung. Just so you know. Showing what's going on. And that's what I want you to talk about is how do the people who are doing the job feel about what awaits them outside? And how is it affecting what they're doing?
LAH: — I mean, okay, so let's — let's start here. These people parked in the parking lot. How are they going to get the cars out of there, number one, when they finish this count? Because we are expecting a count in about 20 minutes. A — a — a — a look at what's happening to the ballots here. What could help figure out where the 11 electoral votes are going to go. So, they're here for a while. We don't know how they're going to leave. We, frankly, as we look at some of the officers heading out that way, to try to figure out what to do as law enforcement with this large crowd and I should add, that this is a crowd that is armed. There are a number of people out there who have been seen with long guns, with automatic — semiautomatic rifles because this is an open-carry state. So there are a lot of security concerns plus trying to keep these people safe inside.
CUOMO: Kyung, are they leaving — Kyung, are they leaving, now, because of the risk? Or is it closing time? And what does it mean about beginning the count again, tomorrow, from that location?
LAH: From what I can sort of piece together because this was happening in the very few moments right before I joined you here, this — this work is going to continue. At, you know, again, 20 minutes from now, we are expecting the numbers to be released on time via press release and everything is running smoothly, on that end. The work here isn't stopping. There are no problems inside. The problems are happening outside and just trying to keep things under control so that this work can continue.
CUOMO: What's the beef for the people outside? What is their message?
LAH: You know, it's a lot of chanting. A lot of slogans that we have heard before. The talking about count the vote, stop the vote. You know, that, you know, they want Trump. A lot of flags being waved. Trump flags. You know, it's — we — we heard people singing YMCA for a little while. So, it's just a number of different songs —
CUOMO: Alright.
LAH: — and slogans as — as this keeps continuing.
CUOMO: All right. Last thing. And then, you got to find your way out of there and I'll talk to you from some other location or you just call in and give the information. But how do we get the information from Arizona officials tonight if it's not going to come from you in that building?
LAH: We are told that they will get it to us, somehow, via press release.
CUOMO: Okay.
LAH: And so, that’ll probably happen electronically. As soon as we get it, we're going to bring it to you.
CUOMO: Alright. Good. Safety, first. I hate that that's an issue, right now, to be honest. You know, it's not like you are in a situation that's supposed to be high tension. This is supposed to be democracy in action. Take care of yourself and the team. Send our best. I’ll talk to you when you get out. Kyung, thank you very much. I got to tell you. You know, Mr. President, I can't believe that you'd be happy with that, on your behalf. Literally, chilling a democracy that you know is fundamental to how we pick our next president. And is that the atmosphere that you want for what Makes America Great Again? What a question for you to answer. It’d be great to hear it. So let's go back to the wall. That's going to be a problem, right? Because, now, you got people doing their job, under stress. Now, they’re leaving. Now, they come back. Maybe, it's going to be delayed and we really have to know because, how Arizona goes will make a difference.
PHIL MATTINGLY: Well, and I think the President would like Arizona to continue to count their ballots.
CUOMO: Right, I mean, the guy has a chance to win and his chance to win, when it's trending the right way, is being compromised by his own people chilling and scaring the people who are doing the counting that might make a difference for the President, himself. I mean, that is why, very often, anger is irrational. It's not even productive for your own aims, here and just to circle back before we move on. Every time we have gotten a dump from Maricopa today, it has been good for President Trump in terms of the ratio for balloting and we have to keep going and watch.
