In a hostile interview with Carly Fiorina on CNN’s New Day on Friday, anchor Chris Cuomo accused the Republican presidential candidate of inciting violence with her criticism of abortion provider Planned Parenthood: “Do you feel any sense of regret about how you characterized what was going on at Planned Parenthood after the attack in Colorado? Because of what the man said, which seems as though he was influenced by some of the rhetoric that was coming out of you and others that painted a very ugly picture, an unfair one, about Planned Parenthood?”
Fiorina eviscerated Cuomo for his nasty slander: “Oh, please, really, Chris? Look, nine videotapes have come out about Planned Parenthood. It is very clear what they have been doing....this is a typical left-wing tactic, to try and shut down the truth by silencing people. This has happened over and over and over again.”
Cuomo contemptuously replied: “The question doesn’t go away. The videos were edited, you know that. The scenes that were depicted – ” Fiorina cut him off with some facts: “Actually, I don't know that. There has been forensic evidence of those nine videotapes over and over again. There have been reports that say they are not edited.”
He insisted: “Of course they were edited. Of course the videos were edited.” Fiorina remarked: “It's amazing to me that we're still having this conversation.” Cuomo argued: “No, no, no. Let's be careful about what we're saying. Of course they were edited.”
Cuomo was clearly relying on Planned Parenthood claims that the videos were deceptively edited in some way. However, as The Federalist pointed out, an objective analysis found the tapes to be “authentic and show no evidence of manipulation.”
Cuomo continued to rant: “There were scenes and pictures depicting horrible things that nobody should want to see that weren't authentic and weren’t germane to the conversation within the video. We had the guy on here, he couldn't justify it. Now you had somebody who went out and killed in the name of that.”
Fiorina again blasted his assertion that conservative criticism of Planned Parenthood caused the Colorado shooting: “Really? Okay, I don't recall, Chris – careful, you're a journalist. I don't recall anybody in the pro-life community celebrating this tragedy. I don't recall any of that happening.”
Pointing to the abortion provider’s own change in policy in the wake of the controversy, Fiorina explained: “Planned Parenthood several weeks ago made a quiet little announcement that they would no longer accept compensation for the sale of what they call fetal tissue. That's about as close to an admission as you can get. In fact, it is an admission....I don't understand why Planned Parenthood would make an announcement that they're no longer accepting compensation.”
Cuomo ran to their defense: “To clarify a policy that was used to villainize them when they felt that there was no need to do that. That's what the head of the organization says.”
That parroting of Planned Parenthood talking points led Fiorina to observe: “It's clear what your opinion is, Chris. It’s clear what your opinion is.” Cuome snidely asked: “What's my opinion, Ms. Fiorina? What do you think it is?” Fiorina declared: “Well, I think you've bought the Planned Parenthood line, hook, line and sinker. So, good to know that.”
Here is a transcript of the contentious December 11 exchange:
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CHRIS CUOMO: I mean, you see the poll numbers are going the wrong way. What do you account for it in terms of what you did that took the air out of the balloon? Do you think it was what you said about Planned Parenthood?
CARLY FIORINA: No, absolutely not. In fact, I have gotten huge support for my strong pro-life stand. You know, we've come a long way. I mean, yes, you, I, everybody else who's a political junky, we've spent the last six months talking about politics. But here's what history and the polls tell us. The vast majority of people make up their minds in last two weeks. We have over 50 days to go. People haven't even started voting, and a lot of people haven’t even started paying attention. So what we also know from history, is national polls at this point in a race are never predictive. Never. They never have been. So, we’ve a long way to go.
CUOMO: Now, when we're looking with what happened here in Colorado, very often you've said Trump’s got to watch what he says, it has implications. Do you feel any sense of regret about how you characterized what was going on at Planned Parenthood after the attack in Colorado? Because of what the man said, which seems as though he was influenced by some of the rhetoric that was coming out of you and others that painted a very ugly picture, an unfair one, about Planned Parenthood?
FIORINA: Oh, please, really, Chris? Look, nine videotapes have come out about Planned Parenthood. It is very clear what they have been doing. And in fact, Planned Parenthood several weeks ago made a quiet little announcement that they would no longer accept compensation for the sale of what they call fetal tissue. That's about as close to an admission as you can get. In fact, it is an admission.
CUOMO: That's not what they say.
FIORINA: Look, what happened in Colorado – what happened in Colorado is a terrible thing. This guy is a deranged murderer and I hope he is put away for life. It may be that we should be classifying that as domestic terrorism as well. But that has nothing to do with the truth of what is going on in Planned Parenthood. And this is a typical left-wing tactic, to try and shut down the truth by silencing people. This has happened over and over and over again.
CUOMO: Ms. Fiorina –
FIORINA: Let's focus on – yes?
CUOMO: The question doesn’t go away. The videos were edited, you know that. The scenes that were depicted –
FIORINA: Actually, I don't know that. There has been forensic evidence of those nine videotapes over and over again. There have been reports that say they are not edited.
CUOMO: Of course they were edited. Of course the videos were edited.
FIORINA: It's amazing to me that we're still having this conversation.
CUOMO: No, no, no. Let's be careful about what we're saying. Of course they were edited. What you were saying is –
FIORINA: Oh, let's be very careful about what we're saying, Chris.
CUOMO: You’re saying that the raw –
FIORINA: Let's be very careful about what we're saying.
CUOMO: You're saying that the raw portions of the video substantiate the claims that you and others have made. That has not been proven to any satisfaction in any objective way. There were scenes and pictures depicting horrible things that nobody should want to see that weren't authentic and weren’t germane to the conversation within the video. We had the guy on here...
FIORINA: Okay, Chris, here’s the thing –
CUOMO: ...he couldn't justify it. Now you had somebody who went out and killed in the name of that.
FIORINA: Really? Really? Okay, I don't recall, Chris – careful, you're a journalist.
CUOMO: Yes.
FIORINA: I don't recall anybody in the pro-life community celebrating this tragedy. I don't recall any of that happening. And I also know for a fact that Planned Parenthood – by the way, have you ever watched those videos?
CUOMO: Yes, I have.
FIORINA: You really ought to if you haven't.
CUOMO: I have.
FIORINA: You really ought to if you haven’t.
CUOMO: I have, I said.
FIORINA: But I don't understand why Planned Parenthood would make an announcement that they're no longer accepting compensation.
CUOMO: To clarify a policy that was used to villainize them when they felt that there was no need to do that. That's what the head of the organization says.
FIORINA: It's clear what your opinion is, Chris. It’s clear what your opinion is.
CUOMO: What's my opinion, Ms. Fiorina? What do you think it is?
FIORINA: Well, I think you've bought the Planned Parenthood line, hook, line and sinker. So, good to know that.
CUOMO: No, what I'm saying is, I'm asking you if you feel that coming out of Colorado, it gave you any new sense of the power of rhetoric and what it can do, especially when it's playing on a sensitive issue like abortion. Because of what we just saw, as we agree, this deranged man who went out and killed in the name of saving the baby parts.
FIORINA: Okay, so in other words, you would also accept that President Obama's rhetoric might incite people when he is standing in the Philippines saying that anyone who opposes any of his policies – whether it's the Iran deal or stopping Syrian refugees – when he says that some of us, like me, like other Republicans are as bad as the Iranian hard-liners shouting "Death to America!" Or that we are as bad – we're giving ISIS recruitment tools. You would say that that rhetoric is a problem as well?
I mean, it is unconscionable, to use your word, to deride people who are conservative, their rhetoric, but not to acknowledge that the left uses incendiary rhetoric all the time. It is not objective to say that the left-wing does not try and shut down conversation that they don't want to have by accusing people of inciting others. This has happened in election cycle after election cycle. Remember Sarah Palin? Sarah Palin was somehow responsible for the murder – the attack on Gabby Giffords. It turned out that wasn't true either.
CUOMO: Well, I don't know anything about what you're saying about Sarah Palin. I certainly never made that allusion and I certainly –
FIORINA: Of course you do. Of course you do.
CUOMO: No, I really never have.
FIORINA: Everybody made that allusion.
CUOMO: But I didn’t, Ms. Fiorina. You know, you’ve got to be careful about who you accuse of what. What I'm saying is that of course dangerous rhetoric is what it is. It should be identified and it should be called out because it doesn't help the process.
FIORINA: Well, have you ever identified President Obama's dangerous rhetoric? Have you ever identified President Obama’s dangerous rhetoric?
CUOMO: I don't understand what President Obama in the Philippines...
FIORINA: Have you ever identified Hillary Clinton –
CUOMO: ...has to do with you and Planned Parenthood.
FIORINA: Oh, I see.
CUOMO: What does one have to do with the other?
FIORINA: You don’t think it has anything to do with the tone?
CUOMO: It's just a question about whether or not you felt differently, that’s all. Do you feel differently after what you said there and what happened in Colorado?
FIORINA: I do not. You don't like my answer. I do not. I stand by my statement. I stand by the facts. And I think Planned Parenthood has done an excellent job of pulling the wool over lots of people's eyes. I am asking you a question, Chris.
CUOMO: Please.
FIORINA: Which is, do you not acknowledge that the left-wing uses incendiary rhetoric over and over and over again to silence messages that they don't want to deal with? When Hillary Clinton stands on a debate stage and says the enemy she is most proud of are Republicans, does that help our political dialogue? I don't think so.
CUOMO: I would agree with you. I think that what we have seen out of both parties is disgusting. I think it's cheapened the process, I think it's turned people off, and I think it's fed an anger that now is almost out of control. And I think that the job of all of us is to try to bring the system back into conformity with what it was supposed to be about, which is people with different ideas going at it, not scaring people, not pushing people to violence.
FIORINA: Okay, well, I agree with you on that. And so what I’m going to continue to do is talk about the facts, talk about the truth, talk about what's really happening, and talk about real solutions to solve what is actually happening. That's what I'm going to do.
CUOMO: You are always welcome to come on New Day to do exactly that, Ms. Fiorina. Thank you for doing it today.
FIORINA: Thanks, Chris. Thanks, have a great day.
CUOMO: Alright, you, too.
