Pawlenty says 'I'm running for president'... but does he really mean it?
The former Minnesota governor's team insists that CNN's promotion department took his seemingly straightforward declaration out of context

The video: On Tuesday's Piers Morgan Tonight on CNN, former Minnesota governor and presumed GOP presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty said, "I'm running for president." (View video below.) Though CNN was quick to promote the sound-bite, the network neglected to mention that it came in response to Morgan asking Pawlenty if he'd consider being Donald Trump's running mate. A Pawlenty spokesperson told The Huffington Post that they were "very unhappy with how CNN framed the former governor's comments," and his campaign stressed that Pawlenty will make an official announcement about a presidential bid "in the coming weeks." Did CNN mishandle the moment?
The reaction: There's "not a lot of room for interpretation" here, says Glynnis MacNicol at Business Insider. It appears CNN ran the clip unedited, and this is simply an "embarassing" move for Pawlenty out of the "Jon Kyl school of 'despite my entirely serious tone, [what] I said actually wasn't intended to be taken as a fact-based statement' politicking." Yeah, it's an "unfortunate" "verbal miscue" for Pawlenty, says Holly Bailey at Yahoo!. His supposed mistreatment "was a case of him actually telling the truth," and if anything, it "focuses a spotlight on the sillier aspects of the behind-the-scenes plotting of a presidential bid." Watch the video:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - March 30, 2025
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - strawberry fields forever, secret files, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 hilariously sparse cartoons about further DOGE cuts
Cartoons Artists take on free audits, report cards, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Following the Tea Horse Road in China
The Week Recommends This network of roads and trails served as vital trading routes
By The Week UK Published
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?
In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration
By The Week Staff Published
-
'Seriously, not literally': how should the world take Donald Trump?
Today's big question White House rhetoric and reality look likely to become increasingly blurred
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will Trump's 'madman' strategy pay off?
Today's Big Question Incoming US president likes to seem unpredictable but, this time round, world leaders could be wise to his playbook
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Democrats vs. Republicans: who are the billionaires backing?
The Explainer Younger tech titans join 'boys' club throwing money and support' behind President Trump, while older plutocrats quietly rebuke new administration
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
US election: where things stand with one week to go
The Explainer Harris' lead in the polls has been narrowing in Trump's favour, but her campaign remains 'cautiously optimistic'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is Trump okay?
Today's Big Question Former president's mental fitness and alleged cognitive decline firmly back in the spotlight after 'bizarre' town hall event
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The life and times of Kamala Harris
The Explainer The vice-president is narrowly leading the race to become the next US president. How did she get to where she is now?
By The Week UK Published
-
Will 'weirdly civil' VP debate move dial in US election?
Today's Big Question 'Diametrically opposed' candidates showed 'a lot of commonality' on some issues, but offered competing visions for America's future and democracy
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published