Acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney's press conference last week resulted in several unflattering headlines. Media pounced on his announcement that the next G-7 summit would be held at one of President Trump's golf resorts because it seemed like a conflict of interest. A few days later and the administration had reversed their decision.
But there were other issues during Mulvaney's meeting with the press. Some outlets observed that Mulvaney appeared to admit that Trump was guilty of quid pro quo when he asked Ukrainian President Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden in a July phone call. Mulvaney denied it and walked back his remarks.
Grisham defended Mulvaney during an appearance on "Fox & Friends," noting that he "did a great job" at the press conference. His message, she said, was consistent and the media was just getting itself "into a tizzy."
She likened the media's response to "theater." It's "people wanting to be on TV and make names for themselves."
CNN anchor Anderson Cooper scoffed at Grisham's assessment and in a very smug edition of "RidicuList" during his Tuesday night show suggested that the press secretary go see a Broadway show if she really wants to see "theater."
"Oh Stephanie, you've got to increase your vocabulary - I mean your criticism," Cooper said. "Theater now has been used twice. I mean, Grisham clearly doesn't get to Broadway enough if she, you know, thinks those press conferences are theater."
"Maybe on one of these seven days of the week she’s not doing her job, she can catch a matinee of 'Hamilton,'" he offered.
Grisham was offended and told him so.
"I think CNN has lost sight of the fact that we are human beings," Grisham told Business Insider. "Just as Anderson Cooper has a job to do, working for a company he is proud of, so do I. I also imagine he has a personal life, where he has to juggle quite a bit - and the same goes for me."