During the Monday edition of CNN's New Day, co-host Alisyn Camerota got into a surly argument with Republican Congressman and former Navy SEAL Scott Taylor (Va.) regarding whether the press should give extensive coverage of the tweets posted online by Donald Trump.
While Camerota asserted she felt such messages from the GOP president were worth covering, Taylor responded: “I think you guys are getting played, man” because people in the news media “always overreact” and “play right into his hands.”
The CNN co-host began the interview by asking her guest about Trump retweeting “this wrestlemania stuff of him” punching Vince McMahon with a CNN logo on the WWE commissioner’s head. “It appears that the origin of that video was from the reddit account of someone with just sickening, anti-Semitic and racist rants on the account. What’s your response to this?”
Well, I don’t know anything about what you just said in terms of whose account it was or anything like that. I have no idea. I’ve been critical of the president’s tweets before.
If I could give some objective advice to you: I think you guys are getting played, man. I think every time he does this, you guys overreact, and when I say "you guys," I mean the media in general, you overreact and you play right into his hands.
“Ironically, CNN reported on him learning politics from the World Wrestling Federation in 2015,” the guest continued, “and now, you’re like: ‘Oh, my god! He’s inciting violence!’ I don’t think most Americans out there that he’s inciting violence from a WWF clip.”
“I've watched your segments, and you keep talking about this,” he added. “There’s tons of news out there. Let’s talk about real issues.”
“We’ve been told these are official presidential statements,” Camerota replied. “Is the Twitter account of POTUS (President Of The United States) an official statement or not?”
“As I said to you, I would prefer the president not make some of these tweets,” Taylor responded. “I’ve been critical on CNN as well, too. … I think you guys, you’ve got to start reporting on news. This is not really news.”
“I share your feelings sometimes,” Camerota noted. “What’s confusing sometimes is when the president of the United States focuses on this. … Ninety-four of his tweets are attacks on the media versus 29 on the military and what’s happening with our veterans, so where’s his focus?”
“I didn’t come here to defend the president,” he stated. “When it comes to your focus and the media’s focus, it’s all attacking the president. It’s been that way for a couple of years.”
“We’re responding today to his attacks on CNN,” Camerota grumbled.
Taylor then stated:
I understand what you’re saying, What I can tell you definitely without a doubt, there’s a lot of focus on the V.A. (Veterans Administration), there’s a lot of focus on foreign policy, but you guys should cover that, too.
There’s a lot of news out there, there’s a lot of focus on health care, a lot of focus on veterans, a lot of focus on the South China Sea. There’s a lot of news out there to cover.
Camerota then tried to turn the tables on her guest by asking: “So why isn’t the president talking about that?”
“He is talking about it,” her guest replied. “I see him talking about it. We’re working with the White House on different initiatives that are not being covered.”
“I accept your career advice,” she replied angrily. “Are you saying we should begin now ignoring all the president’s tweets?”
“What I’d like for you to do in the next segment you have is put the numbers up of your negative coverage of the president as well, too,” he stated.
“Congressman, that is a -- forgive me -- crazy suggestion because we are covering the president,” the CNN anchor grumbled.
“Why is that a crazy suggestion?” Taylor responded. “I’ve been sitting here watching your segments, and the last three ones are all about these tweets. You’re not covering the news. Cover the news.”
“Do you think this one is a mistake?” Camerota asked about the video released over the weekend.
“Of course,” the guest replied. “I don’t think it makes sense to do that, but that’s his decision to do that politically. … But I don’t think that should make you do nothing but cover his tweet all day long.“
“I agree,” the CNN co-host stated. “We wish the president would talk about substance.”
“We can talk about the South China Sea, about voter fraud, but here we are, talking about the tweets the whole segment,” Taylor stated. “You’re playing right into his political hands.”
