After more primary elections passed by with another surprising Democratic socialist victory in Florida’s Democratic Senate primary, Wednesday’s CNN This Morning dedicated a segment near the end of the post-election show to infatuation with a supposed Democratic candidate strategy for the midterms and beyond: “Bring Sexy Back.”
At the start of the cringe-filled segment, host Audie Cornish created a segue from a conversation of prices and affordability. She began, “You're talking about how Democrats are going to sell this and have this conversation about affordability.
She continued, “And I've got something for you, okay? Because whether it's edits to Usher's ‘Hey Daddy’ or Abdul El-Sayed showing off his biceps and dancing in a tight black T, or Senator John Ossoff being asked about – I'm going to say this – his BDE.”
Wednesday’s CNN This Morning closed with a segment that proclaimed Democrats' new strategy was “Bring Sexy Back” as Audie Cornish said Democrats were “giving their candidates the thirst trap treatment.” pic.twitter.com/GTWsK1XUq9
— Nick (@nspin310) August 19, 2026
In continuation of the recent media love for Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) even amid the backlash to comments that implied Trump aide Natalie Harp was the president's mistress, the show played clips about the Senator being attractive. The first came from a question from a TMZ DC reporter who asked, ”A lot of people have been saying that you've got BDE. You know, BDE.” Some big D energy.
Then came a clip from the wacky I’ve Had It podcast duo of Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan, who, on a SiriusXM show, discussed an Ossoff candidacy. Sullivan first said, “He’s so hot.” Welch continued the fangirling and said, “Oh my god, I want a hot President.”
In more of CNN This Morning’s odd selection of random TikTok videos in their stories, a video played which said, “What this country needs to bring us back together as one is a hot president”
After the videos played, Cornish laughed along with the panel until Antjuan Seawright, a Democratic strategist, in a joke attempt that completely fell flat to the panel, stated, “If that's the standard, Republicans will not be elected president in 2028.”
Seawright then shifted and said, “Being well dressed is a form of good manners.”
Then later, Cornish said she understood Seawright’s point that candidates needed to dress nice, but joked about some Democratic candidate outfits, like El-Sayed: “It's a muscle-T, you know what I mean.”
Axios’s Sara Fischer added, “This is sex appeal more than decorum. So, it’s very, very different.”
Cornish took a new route towards sexual misconduct: “In an era when they literally have to fend off sort of like sexual misconduct questions, you know what I mean? Like, I don't know if this is really the time to be encouraging men in this way, but tell me more.”
Fischer noted this was the reality of “algorithm politics,” to which Cornish responded, “That’s so sad.” Fischer later said, “And so we have to, you know, think about ways to appeal to the algorithm when you're trying to reach new demographics, new voters. And I think sex sells. And that's why you're seeing a lot of them.”
CNN decided to spend time on its morning show on “Bring Sexy Back” in a timeslot of the show that could have been used for more coverage of the victory of DSA party member Angie Nixon in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.
The transcript is below. Click "expand":
CNN This Morning
August 18, 2026
6:49:15 AM Eastern
(...)
AUDIE CORNISH: But listen, there is a way they can sell this issue. You're talking about how Democrats are going to sell this and have this conversation about affordability. And I've got something for you, okay? Because whether it's edits to Usher's "Hey Daddy " or Abdul El-Sayed showing off his biceps and dancing in a tight black T, or Senator John Ossoff being asked about – I'm going to say this – his BDE.
[Cuts to video]
TMZ REPORTER: A lot of people have been saying that you've got BDE. You know, BDE.
SEN. JON OSSOFF (D-GA): Come on, my brother.
[Cuts to video]
CORNISH: He knows what it is.
Democrats have a new strategy for the midterms, giving their candidates the thirst trap treatment. And it seems to be working on someone.
[Cuts to video]
JENNIFER WELCH: I think there's going to be a young, like maybe a Jon Ossoff.
XM HOST: He's also hot. I'm sorry.
ANGIE SULLIVAN: He's so hot.
WELCH: Oh my god, I want a hot President.
SULLIVAN: I do too.
WELCH: I want a hot president.
POLITICAL PLAYLIST HAPPY HOUR HOST: After having a bunch of old geezers as president, to have someone young and hot, it would be revolutionary.
TIKTOK VIDEO: What this country needs to bring us back together as one is a hot president
[Cuts back to live]
CORNISH: The group chat is back. [Laughs}
ANTJUAN SEAWRIGHT: If that's the standard, Republicans will not be elected president in 2028 [laughs] but -
TERRY SCHILLING: I mean, people tell me I look like JD Vance sometimes.
SEAWRIGHT: You running for president?
SCHILLING: No, but he look like me and I -
CORNISH: Is this a conversation about BDE, Terry?
[Laughter]
This segment - I’m going to need a longer show, is what I’m saying.
SEAWRIGHT: But what I will say is that being well dressed is a form of good manners.
CORNISH: Yeah.
SEAWRIGHT: And so I think how we present ourselves as candidates.
SCHILLING: Look at him, look at him.
SEAWRIGHT: How we present ourselves as candidates certainly, I think, appeals to the eye.
CORNISH: But we're not talking - listen, absolutely. And [inaudible] southern gentleman I get. It's a muscle-T, you know what I mean.
SARA FISCHER: This is sex appeal more than decorum. So, it’s very, very different.
CORNISH: In an era when they literally have to fend off sort of like sexual misconduct questions, you know what I mean? Like, I don't know if this is really the time to be encouraging men in this way, but tell me more.
FISCHER: I think we understand that we're in the world of algorithm politics and-
CORNISH: Algorithm politics.
FISCHER: That's so rad.
CORNISH: That’s so sad.
FISCHER: And so we have to, you know, think about ways to appeal to the algorithm when you're trying to reach new demographics, new voters. And I think sex sells. And that's why you're seeing a lot of them.
(...)
