GOP senator schools CNN for repeated 'outrage' tactics over Trump's remarks

Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) torched CNN for its biased reporting during a Monday interview with the network's Kate Bolduan.

Bolduan brought up former President Donald Trump's comments during a Sunday rally in Pennsylvania. The CNN host claimed that Trump used inflammatory rhetoric.

'Every day, you try to create some sort of faux outrage.'

"Campaigning yesterday, the former president said as part of his message when he was speaking to voters is that he did not mind if someone would shoot at news crews and reporters covering the event," Bolduan stated.

During the rally, Trump remarked on the bulletproof glass that has been installed around him for all his outdoor campaign events following two assassination attempts.

"I don't have a piece of glass there," he said, pointing to his right.

"And I have a piece of glass here," Trump continued, gesturing to the barrier directly in front of him.

"But all we have really over here is the fake news, right? And to get me, somebody would have to shoot through the fake news. And I don't mind that so much," he stated.

Trump explained that he would rather not have the protective glass in front of him because it does not "look great on television."

After playing a clip of Trump's remarks, Bolduan asked Schmitt whether he condoned Trump's messaging.

"Every day, you try to create some sort of faux outrage. And I understand why because Kamala Harris has called President Trump a fascist; Joe Biden has called half of America garbage; and they have nothing to run on," Schmitt responded.

He accused CNN of repeatedly trying to make Trump's statements "blow up into something" that "no one takes literally."

"I can't believe you spend this much time on it on the air," Schmitt said. "President Trump has the momentum in this race. It's a change election cycle. President Trump, by 2-to-1 margins, is viewed as the change candidate. That's a hard reality for some people to accept, but that's what people are focused on, not these clips that you seem to air every day."

Bolduan claimed that some Republicans are upset with Trump's rhetoric. She asked Schmitt whether he would like Trump "to continue to repeat that today as part of your final message."

Schmitt replied, "President Trump, he's had two attempts on his life, and you don't really talk about that anymore. And if it were Kamala Harris, 'NBC Nightly News' would be camped out in Butler [Pennsylvania], but it's not convenient to humanize President Trump."

He explained that Trump's message to voters is "very clear: Kamala Harris broke it, he's gonna fix it."

"So again, you can pull up all the clips. And this has been over four years, or eight years now, the idea to try to marginalize him and his supporters has been ongoing," Schmitt continued. "Every time you try to pull up a clip like this to create outrage, people see through it now."

"It's not creating outrage; it's just asking if you agree with it," Bolduan replied.

"Of course not!" Schmitt retorted. "This is insane."

"You're going to do this for another 24 hours, and the American people are going to have a say here, which is, they want a better life for their family," he concluded. "That's what this election's about, not sort of your news of the day to try to create outrage."

Bolduan argued that "people also want safety and security, which could also include journalists."

Schmitt fired back again, explaining that the Biden-Harris administration is responsible for the uptick in violent crime.

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