Appearing as a guest on Wednesday's Anderson Cooper 360 and again on Thursday morning's At This Hour with Berman and Bolduan, liberal CNN political commentator Donna Brazile ranted against Sarah Palin's recent criticism of President Barack Obama as commander-in-chief, and called her a "liar" after the CNN commentator interpreted Palin's comments as blaming the President for her veteran son's problems with PTSD.
On Thursday morning, although she later declared that she "respects" Palin as a mother, Brazile at one point seemed to suggest that Palin was being a bad mother for not canceling an event with Donald Trump to fly home to her son, and, when co-anchor Kate Bolduan wondered if Palin would respond to Brazile, the CNN commentator shot back, "I hope she doesn't because, you know, you don't want to mess with me because I don't play those games."
On Wednesday's Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN, Brazile first made her harsh remarks about Palin after host Cooper suggested Alaska Republican was blaming the President for her son's problems. Cooper:
So, Donna, the comments from Sarah Palin linking her son's domestic violence arrest to President Obama and what she perceives as his treatment of veterans, what do you think of that?
Brazile began her rant:
Anderson, you have known me for a long time, and so I'm just going to say it: She's a liar. That's a damn lie, in fact. Look, last year, President Obama put billions of dollars in his budget bill. And we know most budgets are dead on arrival. But the Republicans in Congress cut out $1.6 billion in services that could have gone to veterans -- 70,000 veterans are receiving less care because they, of course, cut the budget.
The liberal CNN commentator repeated her "damn lie" charge as she defiantly concluded:
So I don't think she should blame the President. We should try to seek help for veterans regardless if they have famous parents. I care for all veterans. I am a daughter of a veteran. And I think, to go out there and to insinuate somehow or another that the President of the United States, Barack Obama, is trying to hurt veterans when, in fact, he is trying to put more resources so that we can give our old and young veterans the care they need, that's just a damn lie, and you can say Donna Brazile said it, and I approve of this message.
On Thursday's At This Hour on CNN, co-host John Berman set up the segment suggesting that Palin had blamed President Obama for her son's problems. Berman:
Donald Trump's newest endorsement, from Sarah Palin. Well, she is now facing backlash from veterans' groups and others over comments that she made tying the White House to her son's domestic violence arrest. Palin's son is a 26-year-old Iraq War veteran who was charged this week on domestic violence charges. She addressed the issue last night in Oklahoma. Listen.
Then came two clips of former Governor Palin from a Trump event:
SARAH PALIN CLIP #1: My son's like so many others. They come back a bit different. They come back harder. They come back wondering if there is that respect for what it is that their fellow soldiers and airmen and every other member of the military so sacrificially have given to this country. And that starts from the top.
PALIN CLIP #2: -the question, though, that comes from our own President where they have to look at him and wonder: Do you know what we go through? Do you know what we're trying to do to secure America?
Berman then invited Brazile to renew her anti-Palin rant as he posed:
Let's bring in Democratic strategist and CNN political commentator Donna Brazile and former communications director at the RNC, Doug Heigh. Donna, you've had a lot to say about Sarah Palin's comments. You don't seem to like them one bit.
The liberal CNN commentator questioned Palin's judgment as a mother as she began
Well, first of all, I'm a daughter of a veteran, and I respect all of our military service men and women. I believe that they should be treated with respect when they return home from the battlefield, whether it's home or abroad. So I thought her comments went a bit, what I call, below the mark. Her son was arrested for domestic violence. That's a very serious issue. And rather than deal with her son, flying back home to figure out what happened -- I think most mothers would do that, I know my mother would have done that -- rather she got on stage and really made disparaging comments about the President.
After recalling that President Obama had tried to increase spending on Veterans Affairs more than was approved by Congress, Brazile again took aim at Palin as she continued:
So you know what I called her last night? And I'll say it again, and I'll repeat it. I called her a liar. Because that was misleading, and she should know the difference when someone is trying to help our veterans. But when you're a mother of a serviceman who now has been accused of something, you know what? Go inside, help your son. And I hope he gets the help and treatment he needs, and I thank him for his service.
After co-host Kate Bolduan followed up, "We'll see if Sarah Palin responds," Brazile jumped back in:
I hope she doesn't because, you know, you don't want to mess with me because I don't play those games. I don't let nobody say bad things, and then sit back and wait for them to respond. So I respect her.
After Bolduan injected, "Sarah Palin doesn't hold back very often either," the liberal CNN commentator concluded:
I respect her as a governor, and I respect her as a mother. I respect her as a mother -- she loves her children. But you don't bring the President of the United States when he is also trying to deal with this. He is trying to deal with this as a serious issue, but domestic violence is a serious issue, too.
Below are transcripts of the relevant portions of the Thursday, January 21, At This Hour with Berman and Bolduan on CNN and the Wednesday, January 20, Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN:
#From At This Hour with Berman and Bolduan:
11:15 a.m. ET
JOHN BERMAN: Donald Trump's newest endorsement, from Sarah Palin. Well, she is now facing backlash from veterans' groups and others over comments that she made tying the White House to her son's domestic violence arrest. Palin's son is a 26-year-old Iraq War veteran who was charged this week on domestic violence charges. She addressed the issue last night in Oklahoma. Listen.
SARAH PALIN CLIP #1: My son's like so many others. They come back a bit different. They come back harder. They come back wondering if there is that respect for what it is that their fellow soldiers and airmen and every other member of the military so sacrificially have given to this country. And that starts from the top.
PALIN CLIP #2: -the question, though, that comes from our own President where they have to look at him and wonder: Do you know what we go through? Do you know what we're trying to do to secure America?
BERMAN: Let's bring in Democratic strategist and CNN political commentator Donna Brazile and former communications director at the RNC, Doug Heigh. Donna, you've had a lot to say about Sarah Palin's comments. You don't seem to like them one bit.
DONNA BRAZILE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, first of all, I'm a daughter of a veteran, and I respect all of our military service men and women. I believe that they should be treated with respect when they return home from the battlefield, whether it's home or abroad. So I thought her comments went a bit, what I call, below the mark. Her son was arrested for domestic violence. That's a very serious issue. And rather than deal with her son, flying back home to figure out what happened -- I think most mothers would do that, I know my mother would have done that -- rather she got on stage and really made disparaging comments about the President.
Over the last seven years, I've heard just about everything -- President Obama blamed for the weather, President Obama blamed for this, that and the other -- but to blame the President of the United States who put more than sufficient funds in the budget last year -- the 2016 veterans budget -- $1.5 billion was taken out in subcommittee. He put money on the table to help our veterans to try to deal with the problems at the V.A. And rather than discuss that, Sarah Palin blamed it on the President.
So you know what I called her last night? And I'll say it again, and I'll repeat it. I called her a liar. Because that was misleading, and she should know the difference when someone is trying to help our veterans. But when you're a mother of a serviceman who now has been accused of something, you know what? Go inside, help your son. And I hope he gets the help and treatment he needs, and I thank him for his service.
KATE BOLDUAN: We'll see if Sarah Palin responds...
BRAZILE: I hope she doesn't because, you know, you don't want to mess with me because I don't play those games. I don't let nobody say bad things, and then sit back and wait for them to respond. So I respect her.
BOLDUAN: Sarah Palin doesn't hold back very often either.
BRAZILE: I respect her as a governor, and I respect her as a mother. I respect her as a mother -- she loves her children. But you don't bring the President of the United States when he is also trying to deal with this. He is trying to deal with this as a serious issue, but domestic violence is a serious issue, too.
#From Anderson Cooper 360:
8:07 P.M. ET
ANDERSON COOPER: So, Donna, the comments from Sarah Palin linking her son's domestic violence arrest to President Obama and what she perceives as his treatment of veterans, what do you think of that?
DONNA BRAZILE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Anderson, you have known me for a long time, and so I'm just going to say it: She's a liar. That's a damn lie, in fact. Look, last year, President Obama put billions of dollars in his budget bill. And we know most budgets are dead on arrival. But the Republicans in Congress cut out $1.6 billion in services that could have gone to veterans -- 70,000 veterans are receiving less care because they, of course, cut the budget.
So I don't think she should blame the President. We should try to seek help for veterans regardless if they have famous parents. I care for all veterans. I am a daughter of a veteran. And I think, to go out there and to insinuate somehow or another that the President of the United States, Barack Obama, is trying to hurt veterans when, in fact, he is trying to put more resources so that we can give our old and young veterans the care they need, that's just a damn lie, and you can say Donna Brazile said it, and I approve of this message.
