CNN Panel Gets Heated Over Trump’s Response to Rob Porter: ‘Defender of Abusers’
Things got heated during a CNN panel on the subject of President Trump‘s response to the resignation of WH Staff Secretary Rob Porter.
CNN contributor Jen Psaki, who served as WH Communications Director under President Obama, claimed that Trump “solidified his legacy as a defender of abusers” (she also emphasized “white abusers” in particular) and that this is “the reflection of a morally corrupt White House” and a “culture that accepts abuse.” However, Former Trump campaign advisor Steve Cortes pushed back against Psaki and Anderson Cooper “as a brown man,” stressing Trump has treated him and his community “incredibly well.”
“This continual notion that’s out there in the media that we’re going to paint the president as a racist because we’d rather not talk about policy,” Cortes continued.
“I didn’t say he’s a racist,” Cooper defended himself.
“Well, implicitly, you did,” Cortes shot back. “Let’s be honest.”
“Well, he does defend white abusers,” Cooper responded. “I mean, he does.”
Tara Setmayer joined in, invoking Trump’s rhetoric on the campaign trail to refute Cortes’ claim that the president cares about the latino community.
“Does calling them ‘rapists and murders’ matter?” Setmayer asked. “I mean, do you really want to go down this road trying to defend Trump on this?”
“That’s incredibly unfair, by the way,” Cortes reacted. “No, he said some are rapists and murderers. Are some people who cross the border illegally rapist and murderers? Of course they are!”
Cortes conceded that Trump could have been more “explicit” in denouncing domestic abuse, but defended the president because he and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly didn’t know Porter outside of the professional setting. He then butted head with Cooper and the fellow panelists as to whether Trump’s “sad” remark was meant for Porter or for everyone including his victims.
“You know what he’s sad about? He’s sad about the fact that this was embarrassing to him,” Setmayer declared, “that someone he thought played the part so well… and now this makes him look bad.”
“That’s so unfair,” Cortes interjected. “This is not a partisan issue. There’s no D or R on domestic violence… whether we’re talking about Harvey Weinstein, or Bill Clinton, or Steve Wynn, or Rob Porter… all four of the people I just named are reprehensible…”
“Was Roy Moore reprehensible?” Setmayer asked.
“Yeah!” Cortes exclaimed.
“But Donald Trump defended him!” she shouted back.
Watch the clip above, via CNN.
