CNN Anchor Clarifies Trump Rape-Sexual Assault Status After Guest Blows Trump Up

CNN anchor John Berman clarified former President Donald Trump’s status vis a vis rape versus sexual assault after Republican strategist Stuart Stevens slammed Trump as a rapist.

Calling Trump a “rapist” is not as simple for news anchors as it is for commentators like James Carville and Joe Scarborough. While Trump wasn’t found guilty in criminal court, and his civil verdict found him liable for “sexual abuse,” the claim relies on a passage from an August ruling from Judge Lewis Kaplan.

Kaplan noted essentially that it was a legal distinction without a practical difference, writing, “Trump ‘raped’ her as many people commonly understand the word ‘rape.’ Indeed, as the evidence at trial recounted below makes clear, the jury found that Mr. Trump, in fact, did exactly that.”

On Friday’s edition of CNN News Central, Berman found himself needing to clarify when Stevens dubbed Trump’s actions a “rape”:

JOE TRIPPI: We’re now into this, literally the stupidest period of politics that I’ve seen in my entire career.

JOHN BERMAN: That’s a pretty high bar right there. I’ve seen a lot of stupid periods, but I understand what you’re saying.

Stuart. Very quickly, by the end today, Judge Scott McAfee in Georgia will rule on whether Fani Willis, a Fulton County district attorney, could stay on their case. We don’t know how he is going to rule, but if he is removed, she is removed.

How much of a political gain is it for Donald Trump, a political gain?

STU STEVENS: Look, I think that what happens today is not going to matter as much as what happens when there will be a trial.

You know, it could be a good news cycle for Donald Trump, but it’s not going to make the fact that he calls out the secretary of State of Georgia on a recorded line and told him to rig an election–. None of that’s going to go away.

So I think we have to take the big picture here.

Look, the Republican Party is led by a guy who is out on bail, literally, who was convicted of sexual assault that a judge classified as rape.

I mean, that we don’t talk about this as the headline in every election story is just amazing.

And every donor to the Republican Party should know you’re giving to a guy who is out on bail. Are you good with that? And I just find it extraordinary that the party can fall into this sinkhole.

JOHN BERMAN: He was found liable in a civil case of sexual assault. But I get your point there.

Watch above via CNN News Central.