CNN journalists debate, fret about Team Trump's 'hostility to facts' and 'denial of real news'
Anderson Cooper and Kellyanne Conway, a senior adviser to President-elect Donald Trump, butted heads on Wednesday night over CNN's report that Trump was presented with unverified information that Russia has compromising personal material on him. Conway had flatly denied CNN's report and called it "fake news," but Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and Vice President Joe Biden took the unusual step of more or less publicly confirming the report. "That's not fake information, that's not fake news, that's accurate reporting," Cooper said on Thursday night.
"I agree with Kellyanne Conway," Cooper added. "If we were wrong, we would admit it, but we were not wrong — she was. The question is, will she hold herself and her team to the same standard?" Conway had declined an invitation to come on so Cooper turned to Jake Tapper, Jim Sciutto, and Jim Acosta. Tapper said he doesn't expect a mea culpa "because this has been the modus operandi for President-elect Trump and his team, to say what they believe to be true even if it is disputed by facts, and then stick with it." After Trump's "fact-free campaign," he said, the media can't get "hung up" on whether Trump recants his falsehoods. "Our attitude just kind of has to be: It doesn't matter; what we're presenting needs to be right and it's our bond with the viewers," he said.
Cooper asked Acosta about his confrontation with Trump at Wednesday's press conference, and Acosta said incoming press secretary Sean Spicer threatened to throw him out if he didn't stop trying to ask Trump a question. "I think that there's something worse than 'fake news' and that's the denial of real news," he said, "and beyond that, Anderson, something that might be worse than that is they're just not in command of the facts at this point. When you listen to Kelleyanne Conway go sort of all over the place on this, they're just not in command of the facts."
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.
Acosta said he expects Trump and his aides to continue going "after the messenger" if they don't like the message, and Sciutto said he is worried about "a broader issue, which is a hostility to facts, right? And an effort, a concerted effort by Donald Trump and his team to call into question the very existence of facts, the very existence of nonpartisan news." Watch below. Peter Weber
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
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
The history of Donald Trump's election conspiracy theories
The Explainer How the 2024 Republican nominee has consistently stoked baseless fears of a stolen election
By David Faris Published
-
Two ancient cities have been discovered along the Silk Road
Under the radar The discovery changed what was known about the old trade route
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
'People shouldn't have to share the road with impaired drivers'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
US economy still strong in final preelection report
Speed Read It grew at a solid 2.8% annual rate from July through September
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Boeing machinists reject deal, continue strike
Speed Read The rejection came the same day Boeing reported a $6.2 billion quarterly loss
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Ports reopen after dockworkers halt strike
Speed Read The 36 ports that closed this week, from Maine to Texas, will start reopening today
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Empty-nest boomers aren't selling their big homes
Speed Read Most Americans 60 and older do not intend to move, according to a recent survey
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Brazil accuses Musk of 'disinformation campaign'
Speed Read A Brazilian Supreme Court judge has opened an inquiry into Elon Musk and X
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Disney board fends off Peltz infiltration bid
Speed Read Disney CEO Bob Iger has defeated activist investor Nelson Peltz in a contentious proxy battle
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Disney and DeSantis reach detente
Speed Read The Florida governor and Disney settle a yearslong litigation over control of the tourism district
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Visa and Mastercard agree to lower swipe fees
Speed Read The companies will cap the fees they charge businesses when customers use their credit cards
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published