President Trump’s Twitter account has caught the ire of CNN’s New Day, with his comments about the city of Baltimore and Rep. Elijah Cummings having set ablaze yet another media firestorm. This time Rep. Mark Meadows was caught in the crossfire.
On Tuesday morning, co-host Alisyn Camerota remarked about how selflessly Cummings defended Meadows from an absurd accusation of racism. She then bashed Meadows for not offering a heartfelt enough response to the criticism against Cummings (click “expand”):
You know Joe, it's been interesting to watch the personal on all of this, particularly with the President going after Elijah Cummings. And Elijah Cummings has friends in Congress. He has been there a long time, and it was surprising to many people during the Michael Cohen hearing, when Elijah Cummings went to bat for Mark Meadows. When Rashida Tlaib suggested Mark Meadows had done something racist, a racist act I think, Elijah Cummings didn’t have to go out on a limb, but he did and he called Mark Meadows, at that time one of his best friends and that really stuck with people, and both men were emotional, almost teary when Elijah Cummings stuck up for him. So yesterday, Mark Meadows had the opportunity to return the favor to Elijah Cummings and to stick up for the man who is his dear friend, he would have us believe, and he said this statement via Rick Santorum on our air, and I'll just read it, here's what Mark Meadows said: “No one works harder for his district that Elijah. He’s passionate about the people he represents, and no, Elijah is not a racist. I am friends with both men, President Trump and Chairman Cummings, and I know them both well, and neither is a racist. And he offered to go to Baltimore with President Trump to see what they could do to remediate some of the problems that they have there.” And I – you know, that's just a different tone than what Elijah Cummings took.
She then turned to Joe Lockhart, a former press secretary for President Clinton, who spouted off that Republicans have lost their “moral backbone” due to President Trump (click “expand”):
Well I think it speaks volumes about a couple of things, one, the difference between Democrats and Republicans right now, one, about the President's judgment. He just doesn't understand what well-loved and iconic figures, people like Elijah Cummings and John Lewis, are and their history. He'll take on any one any time, and it says – it speaks volumes about the Republican Party. It's a pretty simple equation. These guys are afraid of the President, and what they're afraid of more than anything is his Twitter account. They are afraid that he will go after them, I mean, you know, I think Lindsey Graham apparently was telling people in South Carolina that he had to go so far right because one tweet from the President could sink him. You know, a former Congressman Sanford got sunk by a tweet. So, you know, the moral backbone that many Republicans used to have, Donald Trump has broken. And yesterday, I mean, that was the single most dramatic moment in the Cohen hearing when Elijah Cummings had a chance to let Meadows just hang out there, and he saved him. And he validated him, and when Meadows had the chance, when all of these other Republicans had a chance to sort of push back on the President, you know, they take the Mitt Romney approach which is what desk can I hide under?
The liberal media’s vitriol for anything Trump has lead them down a path to whine about anyone who doesn’t wholeheartedly condemn Trump for being a racist, adulterer, or a Russian puppet. Meadows was willing to dispel the arguments made by the President, but because he wasn’t willing to completely severe his relationship with him, according to CNN, he has no moral backbone. This is a ridiculous assertion from the side that regularly excuses anti-Semitism and endorses the killing of the unborn.
Here is the complete transcript from the segment:
CNN's New Day
07/30/2019
6:21 a.m. Eastern
ALISYN CAMEROTA: You know Joe, it's been interesting to watch the personal on all of this, particularly with the President going after Elijah Cummings. And Elijah Cummings has friends in Congress. He has been there a long time, and it was surprising to many people during the Michael Cohen hearing, when Elijah Cummings went to bat for Mark Meadows. When Rashida Tlaib suggested Mark Meadows had done something racist, a racist act I think, Elijah Cummings didn’t have to go out on a limb, but he did and he called Mark Meadows, at that time one of his best friends and that really stuck with people, and both men were emotional, almost teary when Elijah Cummings stuck up for him. So yesterday, Mark Meadows had the opportunity to return the favor to Elijah Cummings and to stick up for the man who is his dear friend, he would have us believe, and he said this statement via Rick Santorum on our air, and I'll just read it, here's what Mark Meadows said: “No one works harder for his district that Elijah. He’s passionate about the people he represents, and no, Elijah is not a racist. I am friends with both men, President Trump and Chairman Cummings, and I know them both well, and neither is a racist. And he offered to go to Baltimore with President Trump to see what they could do to remediate some of the problems that they have there.” And I – you know, that's just a different tone than what Elijah Cummings took.
JOE LOCKHART: Well I think it speaks volumes about a couple of things, one, the difference between Democrats and Republicans right now, one, about the President's judgment. He just doesn't understand what well-loved and iconic figures, people like Elijah Cummings and John Lewis, are and their history. He'll take on any one any time, and it says – it speaks volumes about the Republican Party. It's a pretty simple equation. These guys are afraid of the President, and what they're afraid of more than anything is his Twitter account. They are afraid that he will go after them, I mean, you know, I think Lindsey Graham apparently was telling people in South Carolina that he had to go so far right because one tweet from the President could sink him. You know, a former Congressman Sanford got sunk by a tweet. So, you know, the moral backbone that many Republicans used to have, Donald Trump has broken. And yesterday, I mean, that was the single most dramatic moment in the Cohen hearing when Elijah Cummings had a chance to let Meadows just hang out there, and he saved him. And he validated him, and when Meadows had the chance, when all of these other Republicans had a chance to sort of push back on the President, you know, they take the Mitt Romney approach which is what desk can I hide under?
JOHN AVLON: And he took a half step towards him the problem was –
HILARY ROSEN [CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR]: Two days later!
AVLON: Two days later – the problem is that he had to assert something that no one was seriously questioning which is whether Elijah Cummings is racist, which is absurd.
JOHN BERMAN: Well, the President said it.
AVLON: Yeah, but it’s absurd. It doesn’t mean anything. Those are nonsense words.
