As the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case involving President Biden’s student loan executive order on Tuesday, CNN Newsroom did what liberals in the media do best: play the race card. Not only did they do that, they picked perhaps the most unsympathetic student to help them make their case in out-of-state PhD student Desiree Veney, the vice president of the NAACP at Morgan State University.
Veney was at the Supreme Court demonstrating when co-host Erica Hill asked her, “Talk to us about why it's so important for you to be there in D.C. this morning.”
Almost immediately Veney portrayed herself as a victim, despite several of her own choices leading to her higher tuition cost, “Being that I am an out-of-state student, I am already at a disadvantage in comparison to my peers. I'm from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and my school is in Baltimore, Maryland. So I pay a large amount of loans and regards to, you know, being out-of-state and things like that. And it already kind of puts me, like I said, at a disadvantage.”
Trying to claim that is somehow racist, she continued, “So with that, I feel like a lot of HBCU students, in general -- student debt, in general, has prevented a lot of HBCU students to engage in many wealth building activities in regards to investing, purchasing homes, and different things like that, that will fill that racial wealth gap that I would say. And I feel like this day is very important, because we are able to utilize our voices and our platforms, so we can be heard.”
Niether Hill nor fellow co-host Jim Sciutto pointed out that nobody forced her to attend an out-of-state school. Instead Sciutto asked about how relief could help her despite that not having anything to do with the law or the Constitution.
After Veney replied that it would help her get her PhD, Hill did not ask why taxpayers should be forced to subside her advanced degrees, but whether she is prepared for the Court to strike down the order, “Are you planning now, looking forward, as if that application that was approved, as if that loan forgiveness is going to come in for you? Or are you planning as if it's not?”
Veney responded by continue to portray herself as a victim, “being a part of the NAACP, being vice president of my Morgan State chapter, we are very exposed to using our voices, like I said, and using our platforms and things like that. And with that, you know, they just gave me more inspiration to be able to go out on a limb, and also just be confident in whatever that we do and wherever life takes us and things like that, regardless of any adversities that we do face.”
Elaborating on the prospect of having to pay her own bills, Veney elaborated that “this is a major adversity that we are facing, but I feel like this will not define me. And it will not stop me from continuing to do what I plan to do.”
Of all the new definitions of oppression, having to pay for your own PhD in Maryland as a Pennsylvanian is perhaps the most fanciful.
This segment was sponsored by CarFax.
Here is a transcript for the February 28 show:
CNN Newsroom
2/28/2023
10:04 AM ET
ERICA HILL: Joining us now, Desiree Veney, who's a senior at Morgan State University. She's also the Vice President of Morgan State's NAACP chapter. It's great to have you with us this morning.
So, Desiree, you were actually, as I understand it, you had applied for this program, you had already been approved, obviously, that is now on hold. Talk to us about why it's so important for you to be there in D.C. this morning.
DESIREE VENEY: Hi, yes. Yes, I was approved. I was fortunately one of the ones that were able to get approved. So it was a great opportunity for that. But it means a lot to me to be here today, not only because it's important. It's a very important day in history to not only me but also my peers.
Being that I am an out-of-state student, I am already at a disadvantage in comparison to my peers. I'm from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and my school is in Baltimore, Maryland. So I pay a large amount of loans and regards to, you know, being out-of-state and things like that. And it already kind of puts me, like I said, at a disadvantage.
So with that, I feel like a lot of HBCU students, in general -- student debt, in general, has prevented a lot of HBCU students to engage in many wealth building activities in regards to investing, purchasing homes, and different things like that, that will fill that racial wealth gap that I would say. And I feel like this day is very important, because we are able to utilize our voices and our platforms, so we can be heard.
…
HILL: Yes. A lot of looking up to you, understandably. Desiree when we look at where we're at now, as we wait on this decision, how do you plan? Because those plans you talk about your desire to pursue your master's, your PhD as well. Are you planning now, looking forward, as if that application that was approved, as if that loan forgiveness is going to come in for you? Or are you planning as if it's not?
VENEY: Well, initially coming into college, my freshman year, you know, this whole cancel student debt thing was not even, you know, above surface. So coming into college, I didn't even have that, you know, idea or expectation of it being a thing.
So my kind -- my mindset is already programmed to, you know, continue to do what I've been doing in preparation of paying my loans and things like that postgrad. So, of course, if given this opportunity, it will be a blessing, yes. But, you know, it's kind of like, you know, you pray for the best, but kind of prepare for the worst.
JIM SCIUTTO: Yeah.
HILL: Yeah.
VENEY: And it's an unfortunate circumstance, but, you know, like I said, if granted the opportunity, it will be a blessing, but we still have to continue to push forward and prepare for whatever is coming.
And with being a part of the NAACP, being vice president of my Morgan State chapter, we are very exposed to using our voices, like I said, and using our platforms and things like that. And with that, you know, they just gave me more inspiration to be able to go out on a limb, and also just be confident in whatever that we do and wherever life takes us and things like that, regardless of any adversities that we do face.And I feel like this is a major adversity that we are facing, but I feel like this will not define me. And it will not stop me from continuing to do what I plan to do.
