As Wisconsin Republican Rep. Sean Duffy appeared as a guest on Friday's New Day to discuss Donald Trump's acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, the CNN anchor duo of Chris Cuomo and Alisyn Camerota both fretted over Trump promising to defend homosexuals from terrorists without going to the left in supporting gay rights issues. Cuomo at one point slammed running mate Mike Pence as "no friend to the LGBT community," and worried about his support of conversion therapy, which Cuomo called "one of the most insidious and dangerous things there is" for homosexuals.
After Rep. Duffy commented at one point that "We could spend the whole next hour talking about that issue," Cuomo laughed and gloated, "Wouldn't be good for you, Duffy, not on this issue," inspiring the Republican Congressman to jab the CNN host about his show's liberal bias as he quipped back: "Well, not on your show."
CNN's Camerota first raised the issue of how Trump had dealt with the gay rights issue as she posed:
Trump's getting kudos for mentioning the LGBT community and saying he would protect them from this foreign, hateful ideology. Is that a bold position? "I'm going to protect you from terrorism."
When Duffy asserted that homosexuals would like to hear a promise of protection, Camerota pressed back:
But they also want to hear -- and domestically -- "I'm going to help you get the rights that you deserve."
After the Wisconsin Republican recalled that Trump's promise to protect homosexuals from terrorism was one of his most applauded lines, Cuomo jumped in to complain:
But did they take it as a terror line or a gay rights line? I mean, look at who he picked as his VP? I mean, Mike Pence is no friend to the LGBT community.
After Duffy disputed Cuomo's claim as not true, the liberal CNN anchor added:
He doesn't want transgender bathrooms. He believes in funding conversion therapy, which to that community is one of the most insidious and dangerous things there is.
The two then got into the back and forth which ended in Duffy ribbing Cuomo about his show's liberal bias:
DUFFY: We could spend the whole next hour talking about that issue.
CUOMO: Wouldn't be good for you, Duffy, not on this issue.
DUFFY: Well, not on your show.
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Friday, July 22, New Day on CNN:
ALISYN CAMEROTA: Trump's getting kudos for mentioning the LGBT community and saying he would protect them from this foreign, hateful ideology. Is that a bold position? "I'm going to protect you from terrorism."
REP. SEAN DUFFY (R-WI): I think the community wants someone to say, "I'm going to protect you."
CAMEROTA: But they also want to hear -- and domestically -- "I'm going to help you get the rights that you deserve."
DUFFY: Yeah, I don't know if he was trying to walk a line there or what he was doing, but if you -- did you hear the response from the crowd?
CHRIS CUOMO: Yes.
DUFFY: Some will say the Republicans are anti-gay. If you listen to the crowd last night, these are hard-core Republicans, and that was one of the loudest applauses-
CUOMO: But did they take it as a terror line-
DUFFY: -that Donald Trump got.
CUOMO: -or a gay rights line? I mean, look at who he picked as his VP? I mean, Mike Pence is no friend to the LGBT community.
DUFFY: Well, I don't think that's true. I don't think he believes in traditional -- he believes in traditional marriage, not gay marriage.
CUOMO: He doesn't want transgender bathrooms. He believes in funding conversion therapy, which to that community is one of the most insidious and dangerous things there is.
DUFFY: We could spend the whole next hour talking about that issue.
CUOMO: Wouldn't be good for you, Duffy, not on this issue.
DUFFY: Well, not on your show. But I think there's a sense that says, "Listen, do you want to sideline a group of folks? Should we actually reach out and talk to them?
CUOMO: Right.
DUFFY: "Is there a way we can come together and agree on a set of policies that can satisfy, you know, the morality on the right and the needs, you know, of a community? Could I be the bridge that makes that happen?" Absolutely. And the start of that is actually saying it on a stage like that.
