Things got heated between CNN’s Chris Cuomo and pro-Trump commentator Kayleigh McEnany on Wednesday night’s “Cuomo Prime Time,” causing the anchor to announce, “Interview’s over.”
The altercation began when Cuomo brought up Trump’s tweet from Wednesday decrying his view that Fox News doesn’t work for “us” anymore. He then told producers to put the graphic back on the screen when McEnany, a spokesperson for President Trump’s 2020 campaign, said the tweet was being misrepresented by “more fake news.”
McEnany, who was also active on cable news in 2016, continued to assert that Trump “doesn’t lie.”
The two went back and forth, with McEnany saying, “He doesn’t lie. Guess who lies? The press lies!”
She repeatedly insisted, “I don’t think the president has lied,” then accused the media of lying instead, and was told by Cuomo, “You’ve got a long way to go, Kayleigh.”
Cuomo said Trump “is to blame for sowing the seeds of division,” then defended himself: “I have never lied about this president in my life.”
While the veteran anchor defended himself and the media, other journalists on Twitter pointed out what they saw as inconsistency.
“The fact is, though, that McEnany wouldn’t be in the position she currently is if CNN didn’t elevate her as a pro-Trump pundit during the 2016 election,” said Justin Baragona, a contributor to the Daily Beast.
“What is the value of this mess?” asked Soledad O’Brien, who used to work for CNN herself. “Why invite Kayleigh on–is the only point to argue with her? This doesn’t inform anyone, is a complete waste of time and takes up space so more important stories won’t get coverage. This is a mess.”
Even Don Lemon, who hosts the CNN show that follows Cuomo’s, indicated he had enough during the toss between shows.
“I don’t even bother anymore with that because you’ll never get a real, direct answer from someone like that,” Lemon told Cuomo. “She has no credibility, Chris! She’s a nice woman. She used to be on this show as well as other CNN shows all the time, but someone like that has no credibility and the audience… Put whoever you want on your show, this isn’t chastising you, but the audience gets nothing from her because she does not tell the truth.”
“You have to know what they’re going to be bringing your way,” Cuomo said in response.