Tempers flared on CNN when host Anderson Cooper snipped at former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu in a moment that he later admitted resorted to “mean” name-calling.
Sununu appeared Tuesday on Anderson Cooper 360 in defense of the Department of Government Efficiency. Its volunteer head, Elon Musk, made an appearance at the White House earlier in the day, taking questions from reporters about the department’s finds so far, which Cooper disputed on the show.
While the two debated the entire segment, it came to a head when the topic turned to the $59 million reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to hotels in New York City. The Big Apple has housed and fed illegal immigrants from their arrival, and Musk claimed that the hotels were “luxury,” a categorization that is disputed.
“But some of the details that have come out, like the, you know, $59 million spent on luxury hotels, it‘s actually not —” Cooper said before Sununu interrupted.
“Talking about the FEMA money that was abused for migrants?” Sununu said. “FEMA money for migrants? That‘s OK now?”
“No, I‘m not saying it‘s OK,” Cooper retorted. “I‘m not saying it‘s OK. Don‘t put words in my mouth.”
“Would you stop that?” Sununu said. “Would you stop that process?”
“Don‘t be a dick,” Cooper snapped. “What I‘m saying is, the portrayal by him is just not factually accurate.”
Just before the segment ended, Cooper apologized to the former governor. The anchor expressed his regret saying, “I was mean, I was rude to you, and I never—”
“Are you kidding?” Sununu interrupted again, this time laughing. “I grew up with seven brothers and sisters, and I’m a Sununu. I’m a former governor. Do you want to know what I’m normally called? It’s one of the nicest things I’ve been called all week, it’s great.”
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Sununu previously endorsed former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for president but has since thrown his full support behind President Donald Trump. The governor blasted anyone who would “complain about this administration about transparency” as “insane” because “this president takes open questions on a daily basis, yet Joe Biden didn‘t show up for a press conference in six months.”
Biden lagged behind in speeches, press conferences, and interviews. The former president’s term featured only 37 press conferences, averaging a little over nine every year he was in office. He had some 490 exchanges with reporters at his various events. Meanwhile, Trump interacted with the press 710 times during his first term and gave 88 press conferences. His second term is already proving to be more accessible to the media and the public.