CNN’s Pamela Brown Says Trump Era Shows ‘Emotion Will Always Win Out Over Facts’

During Tuesday’s episode of Mediaite’s Press Club, CNN’s Pamela Brown warned that in the media landscape of President Donald Trump, “emotion will always win out over facts.”

“People want to have their views reaffirmed. It feels comfortable to them,” Brown said, describing what she sees as a growing retreat into ideological silos. “Anything that challenges that… challenges their own identity. That’s scary… and so they want to go back into their little bubble or echo chamber. That makes them feel good and comfy and cozy.”

That dynamic, she argued, has eroded the public’s relationship with objective truth.

“I really am concerned that people, there’s just not the respect, deference, and reverence for just the truth, facts, and evidence that there once was,” Brown told Mediaite founding editor Colby Hall.

“Trump’s lie about the election being stolen is a prime example of that,” she said.

Even after repeated audits and recounts, Brown noted, the persistence of those claims has had a measurable effect.

“He says it over and over again… and the repetition,” she said. “Once you say it enough, it gets in their head. Seeds of doubt — ‘Well, wait a second, hmm. Maybe it was stolen.’”

Despite clear evidence to the contrary — “all the facts and evidence show otherwise” — Brown said the emotional resonance of such claims can outweigh reality.

“No matter what, emotion will always win out over facts, sadly,” she said. “That is just the truth.”

However, while critics have argued CNN’s Washington coverage can be overly focused on Beltway politics, Brown said she has made a deliberate effort to center the experiences of ordinary Americans.

“My team knows that what is very important to me is getting everyday Americans on the show,” she said.

“When there’s a government shutdown or health insurance premiums are going up, let’s get that person who’s in Kansas or Kentucky or Texas… because there’s no better way to understand it than the actual person rather than having a talking head.”

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