‘Everybody Saw!’ Cuccinelli Calls Out CNN for ‘Problem’ Edit of DeSantis ‘Listless Vessels’ Clip — Live On CNN

Former Deputy Secretary of DHS Ken Cuccinelli called out CNN and host Kasie Hunt for a “pretty big” cut when showing a clip of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Sunday — while live on air with Hunt on State of the Union.

A remark made by DeSantis in an interview last week went viral over the weekend with help from Donald Trump boosters and media boosters of those boosters (again), and the Make America Great Again PAC sent out an email comparing the DeSantis video to Hillary Clinton’s “deplorables” comment and demanding an apology.

MAGA’s characterization of DeSantis’s remarks as being disparaging of Trump voters et al was repeated many times over in the press, and by Hunt as she introduced the clip on Sunday morning.

“There was a pretty interesting moment in a recent interview where Governor DeSantis talked about Trump supporters. He used the word words, listless vessels,” said Hunt, trying to play the clip for viewers.

But Cuccinelli, who founded the pro-DeSantis Never Back Down PAC, immediately jumped in and objected to that characterization, saying, “But he wasn’t talking about Trump supporters.”

“Hold on, hold on,” said Hunt. “I’m going to play it for everybody and then you can go ahead.”

The clip played, showing a bit from the beginning of the answer DeSantis was giving in an interview with activist Will Witt, and then the quote from the end of the answer where DeSantis said, “If all we are is listless vessels that’s just supposed to follow, you know, whatever happens to come down the pike on Truth Social every morning, that’s not going to be a durable movement.”

“Everybody just saw there that there was a cut,” Cuccinelli said as the video was just ending. “You cut from the beginning of that quote to the listless vessels.”

“You just did what the problem is,” he said directly to Hunt.

“Okay, fine. So you summarize for us,” Hunt snapped back. “What what what was it that he was trying to say?”

Cuccinelli pointed out it was “the rest of an entire paragraph” that was missing, saying “there is a pretty big gap in your cut.” He then explained that it’s clear in context that DeSantis was stating that if all Republican are supposed to simply wait for directives from Truth Social posts then the movement isn’t durable or based on any principles other than simply fealty to Trump. That context is expressed in the full clip, although the press generally continues to use the Trump PAC’s framing.

“So folks, go read the transcript,” said Cuccinelli. “You don’t have to listen to me. You can go read it yourself.”

Some on the right were impressed with Cuccinelli’s pushback, but usually without mentioning that the CNN framing being mocked was identical to the Trump camp’s framing.

Watch the full clip, and read the MAGA response, here from Mediaite.

HUNT: But there was a pretty interesting moment in a recent interview where Governor DeSantis talked about Trump supporters. He used the word words, listless vessels.

CUCCINELLI: But he wasn’t talking about Trump supporters.

HUNT: Hold on, hold on. I’m going to play it for everybody and then you can go ahead. Let’s listen.

DESANTIS (CLIP): A movement can’t be about the personality of one individual. [CUT] If all we are is listless vessels that’s just supposed to follow, you know, whatever happens to come down the pike on Truth Social every morning, that’s not going to be a durable movement.

CUCCINELLI: Everybody just saw there that there was a cut. You cut from the beginning of that quote to the listless vessels. You just did what the problem is. So everybody would just watch that, understand, go read the transcript.

HUNT: Okay, fine. So you summarize for us, what what what was it that he was trying to say?

CUCCINELLI: Well, first of all, his first point is an excellent point. This should be about America, not about individuals.

HUNT: Okay. And how do we get from there to listless vessels?

CUCCINELLI: Yes. Well, the rest of an entire paragraph, by the way, I mean, there is a pretty big gap in your cut. So he’s talking about some of the folks in DC who’ve endorsed Trump. He’s talking about the more general environment and referring to all of us collectively: ‘we can’t just sit back and take all of this be listless vessels. We have to move ahead with a different vision.’ That was not Trump assigned. And so folks, go read the transcript. You don’t have to listen to me. You can go read it yourself.

Watch the clip above via CNN.