The Republican National Convention has become a proving ground for how inconsistent the CNN was in terms of treating both political parties fairly. As NewsBusters’ associate editor Scott Whitlock documented last week, the anti-Trump news outlet only interrupted night two of the Democratic National Convention once. But for night two of the RNC, CNN disrupted the proceedings four times to whine about what was being shown and for commercials.
Their first cut away came immediately after President Trump pardoned convicted robber Jon Ponder, who turned his life around and started Hope For Prisoners, a nonprofit dedicated to helping “empower the formerly incarcerated and their families to create a successful future built on strategic leadership and character development. By assisting those fighting for second chances, we strive to serve, build and strengthen our community.”
It was denounced by host Anderson Cooper as just “a political convention stunt.” He was speaking to left-wing activist Van Jones, who has worked with the Trump White House on criminal justice reform. Jones said was “torn;” he commended the pardon by didn’t like the convention as the setting.
Their second interruption teased upcoming speakers and then went to commercials.
Interruption number three came after Eric Trump wrapped up his comments and host Wolf Blitzer huffed about his “bitter, bitter, denouncement of Joe Biden.” He didn’t have this kind of gripe when Democratic speakers were literally claiming the future of the world was on the line in this election.
Consistently shoddy talking head Jake Tapper followed up with some snide comments about President Trump’s kids, suggesting: “it's the first time we have heard emotion from one of the Trump children.”
Adding: "This is the third child of the President to speak, and you heard Eric Trump say that he misses working with his dad, he loves his dad. So, certainly a nice component there, a nice emotional response. I have to say, Eric Trump, it’s -- first of all, it's unusual to see the relatives of a candidate attacking the rival campaign.”
Later on in that same break, political correspondent Abby Phillip reached back into the RNC programming schedule and decried the naturalization ceremony that took place at the White House. She suggested it was one of “lots of norms being busted tonight.” Here’s her drivel:
Yeah. And I do think the big highlight of what we have seen so far is going to be this naturalization ceremony that happened at the White House with the participation, I should say, of a Trump cabinet member, acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf was there participating in it. We’re going to see more of that. Melania Trump is coming up in the Rose Garden. We’re going to see Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. So, lots of norms being busted tonight. And I think we have more left.
For the final break-in, just before First Lady Melania Trump started speaking, Tapper was back, this time to moan about “Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, destroying another norm by being a sitting secretary of state, speaking at a political convention from a foreign country.”
CNN didn’t have an issue with the Obama’s breaking long-standing “norms” by attacking the sitting President at the Democratic convention. In fact, they glorified it.
This inconstant showing came after CNN interrupted night one of the RNC six times to the DNC’s two. Night tree should be a treat since CNN didn’t interrupt the DNC at all.
CNN’s rude and inconsistent interruptions against Republicans were made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Kia and Advance Auto Parts. Their contact information is linked so you can tell them about what they’re funding.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
CNN’s America's Choice 2020: Republican National Convention
August 25, 2020
10:23:20 p.m. Eastern(…)
WOLF BLITZER: The President's son Eric Trump with a very, very strong defense, support, obviously for his dad. And at the same time, a bitter, bitter, denouncement of Joe Biden. Jake, what did you think?
JAKE TAPPER: Well, it's the first time we have heard emotion from one of the Trump children. This is the third child of the President to speak, and you heard Eric Trump say that he misses working with his dad, he loves his dad. So, certainly a nice component there, a nice emotional response.
I have to say, Eric Trump, it’s -- first of all, it's unusual to see the relatives of a candidate attacking the rival campaign. But beyond that, Eric Trump, like so many other speakers at the convention just said things that weren’t true. I mean, Joe Biden's plan for policing actually involves having more community-based police in black and brown neighborhoods not defunding the police. That's not true. I -- there's not peace in the Middle East. [Laughter] I don't know where that claim came from. The wars, the never-ending wars are not over.
(…)
10:25:39 p.m. Eastern
ABBY PHILLIP: Yeah. And I do think the big highlight of what we have seen so far is going to be this naturalization ceremony that happened at the White House with the participation, I should say, of a Trump cabinet member, acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf was there participating in it. We’re going to see more of that. Melania Trump is coming up in the Rose Garden. We’re going to see Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. So, lots of norms being busted tonight. And I think we have more left.
(…)
10:36:32 p.m. Eastern
TAPPER: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, destroying another norm by being a sitting secretary of state, speaking at a political convention from a foreign country.
And now, we expect, there you see Vice President Pence and his wife, the second lady, Karen Pence, walking through the colonnade and in to the Rose Garden. We are expecting, any minute now, President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will make that same walk, and the President will escort her to the podium where the First Lady will give her address. In the audience, roughly 70, 75 people, many part of the First Lady's Be Best initiative.
We do not know much about the First Lady's address – Oh, there is the President, he is walking. Oh, we thought originally he was going to escort her. Now, walking into the Rose Garden which has been recently redesigned, supervised by First Lady, Melania Trump.
We were originally told that he was going to escort her, but I guess not. Four years ago of course, First Lady Melania Trump, then-citizen Melania Trump’s speech was somewhat controversial given -- here’s a video about the First Lady.
(…)
