The depths of CNN’s righteous indignation and hypocrisy showed no bounds Thursday night, as AC 360 host Anderson Cooper and reporter Randi “Kush” Kaye extensively bemoaned how Trump was bringing friendly journalist into his administration. “It's a presidency that was essentially born on reality TV, and now the lines between reality and TV may be blurring even further,” Cooper opined regarding the hire of Larry Kudlow as the national economic adviser. But what about Obama’s legion of journalist staff?
Beyond the recent development of Kudlow, Kaye vigorously decried the hiring of a handful Fox News journalists into administration positions. “Former Fox anchor personality Heather Nauert left broadcasting not even a year ago to work as spokesperson for the State Department,” she chided. “With Rex Tillerson’s departure, Nauert was bumped up to fourth in line at the State Department despite having no prior experience in diplomatic affairs.”
Kaye also huffed about Trump reportedly looking to hire Fox News host and Iraq War veteran Pete Hegseth to the Department of Veteran Affairs. “Hegseth has no experience in either health care or management but is an Iraq war veteran,” she spat. “President Trump doesn't just hire media types but consults them too. He's dined recently with Fox News personalities Jesse Waters and Geraldo Rivera. Reportedly gossiping about policy and TV,” she added with disdain.
“The President once called Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle to discuss pulling out of the Paris climate agreement,” Kaye continued. “And it is widely known the President leans on Sean Hannity for advice. He not only consulted Hannity on the Iran nuclear deal, but Hannity had also reportedly advised the President to release a controversial GOP memo…”
If one was listening to CNN with no context of history, they would probably think journalists joining an administration was something either wholly new or not done to such an extent. But as the Media Research Center had tracked during the eight long years of the Obama-era, his revolving door saw a whopping 30 journalists pass through. And many of them had a relationship with CNN:
12) Kate Albright-Hanna: (her bio) CNN political producer, 1999-2007 >>> Director of Video for New Media for the Obama presidential campaign, 2007-2008; Content Lead for the Presidential Transition Team’s web site, Change.gov, and New Media consultant to the White House Office of Health Reform and the Department of Health and Human Services, 2008-2009…
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15) Sasha Johnson: senior political producer in CNN’s Washington bureau, 1998-2009 >>> Press Secretary at the Department of Transportation, 2011-2013; Chief of Staff, Federal Aviation Administration…
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20) Aneesh Raman: CNN Middle East correspondent, 2004-2008 >>> worked in communications for the 2008 Obama campaign; speechwriter for Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, 2009-2011; speechwriter for President Barack Obama …
CNN had also hired many former Obama staffers who were previously journalists, Jay Carney and Jim Sciutto come to mind. And if Kaye was so offended by Trump dining with Fox News hosts then where was the outrage at Obama’s close personal friendship with CBS News’ Gayle King? Or his personal meeting with MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow?
This is a Grade-A example of CNN’s apparent policy to be selectively outraged by what Fox News does and President Trump’s relationship with them and turn a blind eye to liberal media hypocrisy.
The relevant portions of the transcript are below, click expand to read:
CNN
Anderson Cooper 360
March 15, 2018
8:31:47 PM EasternANDERSON COOPER: It's a presidency that was essentially born on reality TV, and now the lines between reality and TV may be blurring even further. The President has chosen a cable news personality to be his top economic adviser. But Larry Kudlow certainly isn’t the only wire running straight from TV to the White House. Randi Kaye has more.
[Cuts to video]
(…)
RANDI KAYE: In response to Kudlow’s hiring, radio host David Rothkopf tweeting: “Only a president who views everything through the lens of TV could think Larry Kudlow would be suitable to be national economic adviser. Because he's not an economist in any sense of the word. He just plays one on television.”
But Kudlow is not the only TV personality to see their profile rise in recent days. Former Fox anchor personality Heather Nauert left broadcasting not even a year ago to work as spokesperson for the State Department. With Rex Tillerson’s departure, Nauert was bumped up to fourth in line at the State Department despite having no prior experience in diplomatic affairs.
And another Fox personality could be joining the administration. Pete Hegseth is currently a Fox morning show host but is reportedly being considered to run the sprawling Department of Veterans Affairs that employs just under 400,000 people. Hegseth has no experience in either health care or management but is an Iraq war veteran.
President Trump doesn't just hire media types but consults them too. He's dined recently with Fox News personalities Jesse Waters and Geraldo Rivera. Reportedly gossiping about policy and TV. Afterwards, Watters tweeting a picture of the menu signed by the President, “to Jesse you are great.”
The President once called Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle to discuss pulling out of the Paris climate agreement.
(…)
KAYE: And it is widely known the President leans on Sean Hannity for advice. He not only consulted Hannity on the Iran nuclear deal, but Hannity had also reportedly advised the President to release a controversial GOP memo alleging corruption and anti-Trump bias by FBI officials investigating the campaign.
(…)
