CNN's John Berman: Is Trump in 'hiding' because he's 'so embarrassed' by his election loss?
Where is President Trump? CNN's John Berman would like to know.
The CNN anchor on Wednesday wondered about Trump's unusual lack of public appearances ever since news outlets projected that he would lose the 2020 election on Saturday, and the network's chyron declared during the segment, "President Trump In Hiding After Election Defeat."
"Where's the president actually been?" Berman asked. "If he's so certain about the outcome of the election, why hasn't he come out and said it in person? Is it embarrassment that has kept him from showing his face since last Thursday? Lack of conviction?"
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Trump last Thursday delivered an address from the White House claiming without evidence that he's being cheated out of an election win and that "I easily win" the presidential race "if you count the legal votes." Two days later, the race was officially called in President-elect Joe Biden's favor while Trump was golfing, though the president has not conceded.
As Berman deemed Trump to be "in some sort of hiding," CNN's Alisyn Camerota questioned whether he might be "plotting" while his team mounts legal challenges to the election results in battleground states. Berman quickly dismissed that notion, though.
"Oh, he is clearly a brilliant political strategist planning these intricate moves," Berman sarcastically shot back, per Mediaite. "No, I think it's fair to ask the question about whether he's so embarrassed and knows that he will face questions about losing an election, or forced to justify the BS lawsuits, and he doesn't have good answers. ... He either lacks the conviction or the energy."
Trump will reportedly attend an event for Veterans Day on Wednesday, although Berman wondered whether he'll "muster the energy" to answer questions later in the day. Brendan Morrow
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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