Charlamagne tha God and Anderson Cooper engaged in an intense exchange about CNN’s portrayal of former President Donald Trump, with the radio figure accusing the station of failing to confront 45 regarding his “fascist” conduct.
The verbal sparring occurred during Thursday’s program, where the CNN host and the radio personality debated the difference in discourse surrounding Trump compared to Vice President Kamala Harris.
Charlamagne asserted that CNN has not adequately scrutinized Trump’s alleged “fascist” statements during his campaign for reelection, including his previous declaration to “terminate the U.S. Constitution” and attempts to “overthrow the election.”
Anderson, in contrast, believed the critique was unfounded and defended that CNN addresses these subjects “every night.”
Charlamagne reiterated his viewpoint, stating, “I don’t believe you all engage in enough dialogues about it. It seems I hear more about, ‘Is Kamala Harris Black?’ than I do regarding Donald Trump being labeled a fascist.”
The reporter dismissed Charlamagne’s opinion as “nonsense,” pointing out that the network isn’t constantly debating the Vice President’s race. Charlamagne fired back with his own “that’s nonsense” retort, insisting he has observed numerous roundtable conversations on this subject aired on CNN. Angela Rye, the host and executive producer of the Native Land podcast, who was also present during the discussion, concurred.
Anderson stood firm in his position, stating in the video that he has “never questioned anyone, ‘Is Kamala Harris Black?'”
However, Charlamagne made it clear that his grievances extended beyond CNN, asserting that “no network is engaging in genuine discussions about Donald Trump.”
He further commented, “There’s always a double standard with Trump, whether it’s towards Hillary, against Biden, or now with Kamala, they discuss him being a threat to Democracy but don’t treat him as such.”
This viewpoint left Anderson puzzled, as he believed that there weren’t any Trump supporters viewing his shows “to seek validation for their beliefs.”
Watch the video for the complete spirited debate, which concluded with smiles and some shared understanding.