Former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli told CNN political commentator and former Bernie Sanders press secretary Symone Sanders to “shut up” during a heated debate Monday, at one point asking CNN host Chris Cuomo: “How do you make them stop talking when they keep interrupting you?”
Cuccinnelli’s remark came during a discussion of the white supremacist protest in Charlottesville, Virginia Saturday of the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from a public park.
Sanders had argued that the problem of white supremacist politics in America extended far beyond the torch-bearers in Charlottesville, all the way up to the White House. In addition to investigating a terrorist attack against counter-protesters, Sanders said, “I would propose that Steve Bannon and [Sebastian] Gorka also need to be looked at, and the President might need to make some changes with his staff.”
Cuccinelli eventually responded: “Some of the aspersions cast on people like Steve Bannon are really outrageous.”
Sanders pointed out that Bannon, President Donald Trump’s chief strategist, had called Breitbart News “the platform for the alt-right” while he was running the conservative news website. And White House counterterrorism adviser Sebastian Gorka, Sanders said, had argued earlier in the week that supremacists weren’t “the problem.”
Cuccinelli also argued that the statue of Lee wasn’t itself a motivation for the protest.
“My point of disagreement is that, that was an excuse to bring these groups together,” he said, referring to the statue of Lee. “The local blogger who got the permit to protest the removal of the Robert E. Lee statue then blew this up. That was an excuse.
“And now someone’s dead,” Sanders interjected.
“Can I finish, Simone?” Cuccinelli said. “Can you just shut up for a minute and let me finish?”
“Pardon me, sir. You don’t get to tell me to shut up on national television,” Sanders responded.
The discussion came to a halt. Cuomo warned Cuccinelli and apologized to Sanders.
But the conservative former attorney general added later: “How do you make them stop talking when they keep interrupting you?”
“Them? They? I’m sitting right here,” Sanders responded.
She followed up on social media:
Everyday I get up to fight for the human dignity of marginalized people on int'l television. Only to be told to shut up. That is supremacy.
— Symone D. Sanders (@SymoneDSanders) August 14, 2017
Hey @KenCuccinelli, I'm still trying to figure out who is the "they" and "them" you were referring to? #WontShutUp
— Symone D. Sanders (@SymoneDSanders) August 14, 2017
Reclaiming my time. https://t.co/ASAqEhfuYw
— Symone D. Sanders (@SymoneDSanders) August 14, 2017
Watch below via CNN:
.@SymoneDSanders having to remind Ken Cuccinelli that he won’t dismiss her or white supremacy. 2017. https://t.co/vwOCX9yUyN
— deray mckesson (@deray) August 14, 2017
Is it wrong that I’m imagining somebody breaking a chair over that douche canoe’s head right now?
Why was this asshole on TV in the first place? He’s as charming as ever, I see. Stop giving these idiots air time, CNN! They have nothing to contribute in the first place.
And he’ll be back on CNN a couple days from now spouting more garbage in between spots on fox bemoaning his martyrdom.
He will be Lord’s replacement.
Ratings! CNN is hardly faultless when it comes to the dumbing down of American political discourse.