Well, that’s one way to show your partisan colors. American Urban Radio Networks correspondent and CNN political analyst April Ryan showed why she’s a chief White House press briefing carnival barker as she used Tuesday’s installment to wonder whether the various Trump scandals lay claim to credence to the notion that he’s an illegitimate President.
“Payoffs, hush money, Russia trolls, Facebook, WikiLeaks, DNC hack, Comey e-mail investigations on the eve of the election, allegations of collusion. Do these issues give support to those who say, who offer questions about the President's legitimacy,” Ryan wondered to White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Sanders seemed to represent reasonable people watching when she seemed exasperated at this absurd, out-of-the-blue question. She simply responded: “I'm not sure I follow the question, but I think the fact that millions of Americans came out and voted for and continue to support this presidency makes him pretty legitimate.”
Ryan’s partisan grenade came on the heels of her fawning April 24 Variety profile with fellow liberal media firefighter Jim Acosta and the more sober Ashley Parker of The Washington Post ahead of the disastrous April 28 White House Correspondents Dinner (WHCD).
In the piece, Ryan argued that the President’s calling out of the news media has potential to “destabilize democracies” and disturbingly kept invoking the number of death threats she’s received. She also accused the President of violating his oath of office by not supporting the media, but try and convince me that she’s not reporting for The Resistance.
What made Ryan’s lunacy on Tuesday somewhat surprising was her previous question was perfectly reasonable, inquiring about a possible White House visit for James Shaw Jr., who heroically stopped the Tennessee Waffle House shooter in the early morning hours of April 22.
“Is he planning on meeting with him? He's talking to heroes. He had the heroes of the Southwest flight in the Oval Office today. You said something about James Shaw Jr. last week, but is the President himself going to reach out to him? Will he come to the White House,” Ryan in part wondered.
Sanders responded that she believes that the White House has tried to reach out to Shaw and will keep everyone updated if a visit does end up being planned.
Here’s the relevant transcript from May 1's White House press briefing:
White House press briefing
May 1, 2018
2:59 p.m EasternAPRIL RYAN: There are two questions. There is — there are questions percolating about James Shaw Jr. and the President. The President has — has he called him? Is he planning on meeting with him? He's talking to heroes. He had the heroes of the Southwest flight in the Oval Office today. You said something about James Shaw Jr. last week, but is the President himself going to reach out to him? Will he come to the White House?
SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS: My understanding is there has been an outreach effort to bring him here to the white house, and I'll keep you updated on that as I have more information.
RYAN: Okay and second question. Payoffs, hush money, Russia trolls, Facebook, WikiLeaks, DNC hack, Comey e-mail investigations on the eve of the election, allegations of collusion. Do these issues give support to those who say, who offer questions about the President's legitimacy?
SANDERS: I'm not sure I follow the question, but I think the fact that millions of Americans came out and voted for and continue to support this presidency makes him pretty legitimate.
