Hey, if CNN's Chris Cuomo can advise his beleaguered brother Andrew on how to wriggle out of multiple scandals, why shouldn't a CNN reporter debate Republicans in the parking lot? And then be hailed as presidential timber?
On Wednesday morning's New Day, after a long clip was aired of CNN reporter Kyung Lah grilling Republican Karen Fann, president of the Arizona state senate, regarding the Maricopa County 2020 presidential election recount, a thrilled John Berman enthused:
"First of all, Kyung Lah for president, right? I’ll chair that committee right now. That was a terrific interview."
And of course, without waiting for the results of the audit to come in, CNN repeatedly dismissed it in advance as "bogus" and "a sham." To CNN, it's "bogus" to suggest the election wasn't perfect....after CNN spent four years suggesting the Russians stole the election for Trump.
Whatever people might think of the recount, Fann kept her cool, and treated the CNN reporter as a debate opponent, which she absolutely was:
Reporter: You’re questioning democracy.
Fann: No! I’m questioning the integrity of the election system.
Reporter: Which is the backbone of democracy.
Fann: That’s right! Which means we should have full, 100% confidence in our democracy and in our election system.
When Fann made the case for the transparency of the recount, pointing out that the entire process was being livestreamed, Kyung Lah interjected: "on OAN, with cameras controlled by OAN." When Fann asked if Kyung Lah didn't consider OAN a credible news source, she emphatically responded, "yes!" Pot meet kettle, anyone?
If Kyung Lah's presidential run doesn't work out, perhaps she can take over Brian Stelter's gig, devoting herself to trashing conservative media outlets.
CNN's John Berman saying "Kyung Lah for president" and volunteering to chair her campaign committee was sponsored by Jos. A. Bank, Clear Choice, and DirecTV.
Here's the transcript.
CNN
New Day
5/26/21
6:21 am EDTJOHN BERMAN: This morning, a deeply revealing interview, which shines new light on the sham election audit in Maricopa county, Arizona. This is currently ground zero for people trying to promote the big lie about the last election. This "audit," air quotes, is being driven by the Arizona Senate president Karen Fann, a Republican. She declined a dozen requests for an interview, but CNN's Kyung Lah caught up with her in the Senate parking lot.
KAREN FANN: I don’t what’s legit, what isn't legit. But why wouldn’t we answer those questions?
KYUNG LAH: You’re questioning democracy.
FANN: No! I’m questioning the integrity of the election system.
KYUNG LAH: Which is the backbone of democracy.
FANN: That’s right! Which means we should have full, 100% confidence in our democracy and in our election system.
KYUNG LAH: You’re talking about trying to disprove conspiracies.
FANN: If I have to, yes! Why wouldn’t we? If somebody says something is out there, I would love to be able to say, that’s not true, guys.
KYUNG LAH: Aren’t you raising more questions by giving rise to these conspiracy theories?
FANN: No! I’m answering questions. So let me ask you a question. Are you 100% confident that every vote that came in in Arizona or any other state, can you say emphatically, 100% that no dead people voted, that ballots weren’t filled out by other people, that the chain of custody from the minute people voted, their ballots, that the chain of custody was accurate and on target the entire time? Can you tell me that?
KYUNG LAH: I can say that what the data shows us is there was no widespread fraud.
FANN: No, no. I didn’t say there was fraud.
KYUNG LAH: But you just said chain of custody --
FANN: Yeah, chain of custody --
KYUNG LAH: -- dead people, these things are all fraud.
FANN: Well, I asked you a question. Can you honestly tell me, and all of the states, that no ballots from people that are already deceased, were not filled out and sent in?
KYUNG LAH: I can tell you that what the data has shown, overwhelmingly, is that this was the most secure election in American history.
FANN: Okay, but you can’t answer that question, either, can you?
KYUNG LAH: I’m answering it, I'm telling you --
FANN: No. You’re telling me what the data says. I asked --
KYUNG LAH: The data is what we should be driven by.
FANN: First of all, when we talk about transparency, from day one the` entire process has been livestreaming, so anybody --
KYUNG LAH: On OAN, with cameras controlled by OAN.
FANN: Are you saying that OAN is not a credible news source? Are you saying that?
KYUNG LAH: Yes!
FANN: Okay. I’ll remember that. CNN is saying that OAN is not a credible one.
KYUNG LAH: Yes!
. . .
BRIANNA KEILAR: What a report by our Kyung Lah with all of those questions and catching up with Karen Fann, who's very much behind this bogus audit in Arizona. But she’s like a walking infomercial for conspiracy theory news!
BERMAN: I mean, first of all, Kyung Lah for president.
KEILAR: Right?!
BERMAN: Right. I mean, I’ll chair that committee right now. That was a terrific interview.
