CNN Owns Thursday’s Embarrassing White House Spectacle By Employing Brian Karem as a Contributor

The narrative seemed so simple. So simple, and so easy to believe. When New York Times reporter Katie Rogers tweeted out her 38-second clip of the stunning, embarrassing White House clash between Trump administration castoff Sebastian Gorka and CNN contributor Brian Karem, it looked for all the world like the blame lied squarely with the former.

“You’re a punk!” Gorka screamed at the outset of the clip – while getting right into the face of Karem. “You’re not a journalist! You’re a punk!”

From there, chaos ensued, as a number of the conservative hangers-on who were at the White House for President Donald Trump’s absurd social media summit began doing what they do best – shouting full-throatedly into the void. It was an utterly humiliating spectacle – one sadly befitting this White House.

The conclusion, on first blush, appeared as clear as it did unsurprising. Seb Gorka – the real-life Marvel villain who worked briefly at the White House in a job whose responsibilities were a mystery even to his colleagues, then cashed in by landing a syndicated radio deal – seemed to be solely at fault for this nonsensical confrontation. He charged at Karem like a madman, got right in his grill, and screamed at him. Basically, Gorka went Gorka. End of story.

But then a second video emerged – and it showed a different side of the incident.

In this new footage, Karem was seen taking a broad swipe at the attendees of the Trump social media summit.

“This is a group of people that are eager for demonic possession,” Karem said – pointing to the Joy Villa-types in the crowd.

“You are a journalist, right?!” Gorka, off-camera, screamed from a distance.

CNN contributor Karem, then, motioned for Gorka to come after him and threw down a WWE-like challenge.

“Come on over here and talk to me, brother,” Karem said – invoking his inner-Hulk Hogan. “We can go outside and have a long conversation.”

Gorka took him up on the invitation.

“You’re threatening me right now, in the White House! In the Rose Garden!” Gorka said.

Karem continued motioning towards Gorka, and the fireworks began – with this second video reaching the point at which the first began. In this version, though, the camera remained fixed on Karem, who kept shouting at Gorka after he’d walked away.

“Go home!” Karem said. “GO HOME! Hey, Gorka! Get a job!”

The new footage showed, remarkably, that Gorka was not alone in creating this absurd scene. CNN contributor Brian Karem played a significant – albeit not equal – role in sparking the collision. And therefore CNN, too, is responsible.

If Karem’s conduct on Thursday was an aberration, then it could easily be written off as an isolated incident, and CNN could easily disavow any role in the fracas. Trouble is, Karem – who also serves as White House correspondent for Playboy – landed his CNN contributorship just weeks after his viral confrontation with Sarah Sanders during a White House press briefing. Karem, who hadn’t been called on and didn’t have the floor, inserted himself into the proceeding and lashed out at Sanders after she bashed the media from the briefing room podium.

“What you just did is inflammatory to people all over the country who look at it and say, see, once again, the president’s right and everybody else out here is fake media, and everybody in this room is only trying to do their job.” Karem said, in the June 2017 clash.

In a briefing room where the administration threw out all the old rules, and journalists have routinely been demonized, the merits of Karem’s outburst at Sanders are very much open for debate. Less so, however, is the conclusion that CNN hired a man known solely for enflaming confrontation at the White House. And when that man enflames a confrontation at the White House, CNN takes full ownership.

One need look no further than the hiring of April Ryan for confirmation of CNN’s desire for fireworks in the White House. Ryan, similar to Karem, was brought on after several viral tussles with Sean Spicer.

Then, too, there is the network’s chief White House correspondent, Jim Acosta – who has become the Trump administration’s chief journalistic foil. Without question, the White House has gone out of its way to mix it up with Acosta – going so far to provoke a court fight by pulling his credential. But then, even Acosta’s loyalist defenders would concede that he’s no wallflower. The chief correspondent often gives as good as he gets.

CNN’s clear thirst for confrontation in the White House would be less problematic were it not for the network’s efforts to brand itself as a fierce defender of the profession in the Trump era. Brian Stelter’s Sunday show, Reliable Sources, regularly features the host channeling Aaron Sorkin to deliver a pro-journalism Sermon on the Mount. And CNN’s communications department is often quick to issue an above-it-all statement when the president impugns their work.

But CNN cannot, as a whole, position itself as a team of Murrows, and then hire a bunch of Springers.

The frenzied sights and sounds from Thursday’s circus are hard to shake. It was jarring to see the White House Rose Garden overrun with carnival barkers. There were vile taunts, nasty squabbles, and challenges to fight. For Americans who grew to know that place as one of great dignity, the affair was difficult to watch.

And it belongs to CNN. All of it. For their man was front-and-center — shouting full-throatedly into the void.

[Featured photo via Alex Wong/Getty Images]

Joe DePaolo is a Senior Editor for Mediaite.