Apparently, when President Trump took time to hug the American flag on the CPAC stage on Saturday, he triggered people on the left and sent them into a tailspin. And in a report during Tuesday’s edition of Erin Burnett OutFront, CNN reporter Jeanne Moos dedicate time to hype negative responses on Twitter and by late night comedians, while lampooning the President for his display of affection for the flag.
After coming back from a commercial break towards the end of the program, Burnett quipped about how “Trump gets his snuggle on with old glory” before handing it off to Moos.
“Ever since the flag hugger-in-chief did this the other day. (…) The President holding and murmuring sweet nothings to the stars and stripes has led to strife,” Moos declared as she began her report. Of course, she wasted little time in jumping to comparisons of groping and sexual misconduct:
“If that flag could tweet,” did it “say #MeToo”? The one man’s grope is another’s patriotic caress of Old Glory, which the White House glorified by tweeting a photo captioned “America!” And Donald Trump Jr. Instagramed, “oh hell yes”.
Moos pointed to Late Show host Stephen Colbert, who suggested: “I believe that's the first time a flag has ever volunteered to be burned.” She also found humor in Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel using the hug to make perverted and unfunny faux infomercials:
MOOS: Colbert concocted a soft core commercial.
FEMALE VOICEOVER: Are you physically attracted to flags? Just can't keep your hands off? Then call today.
MOOS: Kimmel also flogged the flag.
MALE VOICEOVER: Now you can own a piece of history. A flag embraced by the United States. Gaze proudly upon the Orange stain left by the president's well-bronzed face.
“In real life, you actually can buy vinyl stickers of the presidential flag embrace as well as posters,” Moos added. “But some would rather unsee it.” She then turned to Twitter for further jabs at the President. “And someone else turned it into a sail that’s capsizing a boat.”
After describing how “critics pointed out that President Trump isn't the only flag loving leader”, she flaunted a comparison to former Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez. “That's Venezuela's former president, Hugo Chavez planting a smooch on his flag.”
“President Trump is a serial flag hugger. He's done it around half a dozen times. But at least he's consistent. He only locks his arms around the American flag,” she mocked.
Moos only provided lip service to those who approved of President Trump’s hug. You could hear the condescension in her voice as she recalled how “[s]upporters posted, ‘awe! I love when he hugs the flag!’ ‘Makes me teary.’ ‘We hug our precious flag that stands for so much. The other side burns it.’”
Following the report, Burnett was perplexed. “Trust Jeanne to find something we’ve haven’t noticed. Why does he serially hug the flag?”
This is CNN.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN’s Erin Burnett OutFront
March 5, 2019
7:57:51 p.m. EasternERIN BURNETT: Trump gets his snuggle on with old glory. Here’s Jeanne.
[Cuts to video]
JEANNE MOOS: Ever since the flag hugger-in-chief did this the other day.
[President Trump hugs the American flag on the CPAC stage]
The President holding and murmuring sweet nothings to the stars and stripes has led to strife.
JIMMY KIMMEL: Who does that?
MOOS: “If that flag could tweet,” did it “say #MeToo”? The one man’s grope is another’s patriotic caress of Old Glory, which the White House glorified by tweeting a photo captioned “America!” And Donald Trump Jr. Instagramed, “oh hell yes”. Supporters posted, “awe! I love when he hugs the flag!” “Makes me teary.” “We hug our precious flag that stands for so much. The other side burns it.”
STEPHEN COLBERT: I believe that's the first time a flag has ever volunteered to be burned.
MOOS: Colbert concocted a soft core commercial.
FEMALE VOICEOVER: Are you physically attracted to flags? Just can't keep your hands off? Then call today.
MOOS: Kimmel also flogged the flag.
MALE VOICEOVER: Now you can own a piece of history. A flag embraced by the United States. Gaze proudly upon the Orange stain left by the president's well-bronzed face.
MOOS: In real life, you actually can buy vinyl stickers of the presidential flag embrace as well as posters. But some would rather unsee it. And someone else turned it into a sail that’s capsizing a boat. Critics pointed out that President Trump isn't the only flag loving leader. That's Venezuela's former president, Hugo Chavez planting a smooch on his flag. Snuggling with the stars and stripes is nothing new. President Trump is a serial flag hugger. He's done it around half a dozen times. But at least he's consistent. He only locks his arms around the American flag. Jeanne Moos, CNN New York.
[Cuts back to live]
BURNETT: Trust Jeanne to find something we’ve haven’t noticed. Why does he serially hug the flag? Thanks for joining us.
