CNN’s Burnett: Ex-Trump Aide Michael Anton Cancelled Interview Because He Can’t Defend President
Michael Anton, a former Trump official, bailed on an interview Monday night because he could not defend President Donald Trump‘s press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin, CNN’s Erin Burnett said.
The CNN host said on Monday that Anton, a former National Security Council spokesman, “was scheduled to be on this show, but he’s not on, because he said he can’t defend it.”
Trump shocked the political world on Monday when, during a joint press conference with Putin, he called into question whether Russia meddled in the 2016 election, as the US intelligence committee has concluded.
“My people came to me… they said they think it’s Russia,” Trump said. “I have President Putin. He just said it’s not Russia. I will say this: I don’t see any reason why it would be.”
The president was widely condemned by both sides of the aisle — even by some of his usual defenders — and apparently Anton counts among them.
Before Anton joined the White House, he gained fame for writing “The Flight 93 Election”, an essay under a pseudonym that during the 2016 campaign became a highbrow guide to Republicans having trouble voting for Trump.
“2016 is the Flight 93 election: charge the cockpit or you die,” he wrote. “You may die anyway. You—or the leader of your party—may make it into the cockpit and not know how to fly or land the plane. There are no guarantees.”
“Except one: if you don’t try, death is certain. To compound the metaphor: a Hillary Clinton presidency is Russian Roulette with a semi-auto. With Trump, at least you can spin the cylinder and take your chances.”
[image via screengrab]
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