The hosts at MSNBC and CNN showed they are nothing more than Democratic hacks on Thursday as even the action of Donald Trump paying his respects to the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg resulted in scorn. On CNN, as the President stood solemnly next to Ginsburg’s coffin, Jim Sciutto snarked, “President Trump chose not to pay his respects to Representative John Lewis after the civil rights hero lay in state at the Capitol rotunda, not invited to John McCain's funeral.”
CNN Supreme Court reporter Ariane de Vogue highlighted protesters yelling at Trump: “I think it's probably the same group that just a couple hours ago was in front of Mitch McConnell's house here protesting the Supreme Court.” No hint of judgment there about trying to intimidate the Senate Majority Leader.
Finally, co-host Poppy Harlow knocked the President for not wearing a mask --- some other time: “It's really notable that he is wearing a mask, right, as is everyone there…. He just walked back inside and he was outside wearing a mask after repeatedly mocking vice President Biden for wearing a mask. Notable and important that he's wearing one today in public.”
Over on MSNBC, host Hallie Jackson stopped the show to listen to the protesters yelling at Trump:
HALLIE JACKSON: President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump visiting the Supreme Court to pay respects to the late justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and here is the response the president got. Listen.
CROWD: Vote him out! Vote him out!
JACKSON: Worth noting that kind of a direct opposition crowds chanting really in the President's face like that is just not something that he sees frequently, given that when he does travel out of that White House bubble, is he usually surrounded by crowds of supporters at his rallies.
Of course, it's Joe Biden who calls it a day before 10 AM. It's Trump who takes hostile questions from people like CNN's Jim Acosta or at an ABC town hall.
The "damned if you do, damned if you don't" attitude of CNN and MSNBC was sponsored by CarShield (for CNN) and Dunkin' Donuts (for MSNBC).
Transcripts are below. Click “expand” to read more.
CNN Newsroom
9/24/2020
9:55 AM ET
POPPY HARLOW: The President there on the steps of the Supreme Court. He is there along with the First Lady to honor and pay his respects for the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Jim, you'll remember when President Obama made a similar move when Justice Scalia, Ruth Bader Ginsburg's best friend on the court, passed just a few years ago.
JIM SCIUTTO: That’s right. The President, then President Barack Obama, along with the First Lady visited to pay his respects there. President Trump chose not to pay his respects to Representative John Lewis after the civil rights hero lay in state at the Capitol rotunda, not invited to John McCain's funeral. It's CNN's reporting that the President -- some of the President's advisers were pushing to announce his nominee to replace Ginsburg this week. He says he will announce it on Saturday, wanting to delay it until after the memorial services were over. We can see the First Lady there, too as well.
HARLOW: Yeah.
SCIUTTO: Ariane de Vogue is at the Supreme Court. I wonder if you can tell us about the scene. We're hearing something in the background. What are you seeing and hearing on the steps of the Supreme Court?
ARIANE DE VOGUE (Supreme Court reporter): It's not the steps. It's to the far left and they are protesters and booing and protesting Trump's presence here. I will say that I think it's probably the same group that just a couple hours ago was in front of Mitch McConnell's house here protesting the Supreme Court because, keep in mind, that when President Trump does come across with his new nominee, it is going to raise this bitter fight. The Democrats haven't forgotten that it was McConnell and the Republicans who refused to have hearings for President Obama's nominee. And the Republicans are still furious because of the way they think that justice Brett Kavanaugh was treated during his confirmation hearings. You'll recall when he was alleged to have an improper sexual relationship when he was a young high school student. So that's what's going on here. We're really beginning to see, Poppy and Jim, the next fades of this after the memorial of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. We are looking toward a big fight that's going to start across the street from here.
HARLOW: Ariane, I think we'll get back to images of the President in a moment. It's really notable that he is wearing a mask, right, as is everyone there.
DE VOGUE: Yes.
SCIUTTO: He just walked back inside and he was outside wearing a mask after repeatedly mocking vice President Biden for wearing a mask. Notable and important that he's wearing one today in public.
MSNBC Live
9/24/2020
10:39
HALLIE JACKSON: But we want to bring you back to earlier this hour, President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump visiting the Supreme Court to pay respects to the late justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and here is the response the president got. Listen.
CROWD: Vote him out! Vote him out!
JACKSON: Worth noting that kind of a direct opposition crowds chanting really in the President's face like that is just not something that he sees frequently, given that when he does travel out of that White House bubble, is he usually surrounded by crowds of supporters at his rallies.
