CNN’s Lemon and Borger: Obama Scolded ‘Out of School,’ Question With ‘Loaded’ Language

CNN anchor Don Lemon and CNN Chief Political Analyst Gloria Borger said that the question CBS’ Major Garrett asked President Obama that received a scolding from the president was “a little out of school” and had “loaded” language on Wednesday’s “CNN Newsroom.”

Lemon said, “OK, so, let me tell you, basically, what he was saying was, ‘Man, look here, are you out of your damn mind?’ That’s exactly what the tone — that’s exactly where I thought he was going, like ‘Are you crazy?’ To — because, to put the question in that form. I was at home watching it going ‘Wait a minute,’ you know, it was a little out of school, but I was — I thought that was the next thing was coming, like, ‘What is wrong with you?’ That’s what I thought he was going to say.”

Borger stated, “look, the question about the fate of four Americans is a completely legitimate question. When you look at the language and the way it was loaded in this question, ‘capitulation,’ ‘are you content?’ [paraphrasing] ‘Did you hang the Joint Chiefs of Staff out to dry?’ There are different ways to ask questions, and I think, again, when you look at the president, and I think Don’s absolutely right, I don’t think he really wanted to say that’s nonsense. I think he wanted to say something a little bit stronger, but you could see that he was visibly angry and upset and irritated.”

Lemon added, “I thinking back to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, with his angry translator from ‘Key & Peele.’ I was like, ‘Wait, oh, here comes the angry translator,’ but he held it in.”

Borger responded, “Yes he did, but it’s a new Obama, on the kind of Obama 3.0 as you call it, Don, or whatever, Obama unbound. He was like, ‘I’m not going to let that go unanswered and just give him the — just answer the question about the prisoners, but I’m not going let him — I’m not going to be insulted,’ As I feel Obama felt, and I think he kind of just took it on frontally, again, being very happy to do that.”

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