CNN has had mixed responses to President Joe Biden's speech attacking 74 million voters in this country, flanked by Marines against a red backdrop that made him look like something out of "V for Vendetta" or Nazi Germany. On one hand, as Spencer covered, CNN's Brianna Keilar the network's Chief National Affairs Correspondent Jeff Zeleny criticized the use of Marines there. On the other hand, as Leah covered, CNN reporter Eva McKend gushed over how supposedly "patriotic" it was.
When it comes to Keilar and Zeleny's criticisms, the left went nuts, furthering the "semi-fascism" narrative when it comes to taking issue with any dissent. "Brianna" was even trending at one point over Twitter, and a tweet from her calling out the presence of Marines has received approximately 19,700 replies. "Boycott CNN" has also been trending on Friday.
Really, Brianna?
— Victor Shi (@Victorshi2020) September 2, 2022
Do you remember when Trump used the White House as the backdrop during the RNC? When he violated the Hatch Act too many times to count?
And this speech was about the preservation of American democracy. Uniting the country against a domestic threat. https://t.co/MThqMGtywy
Brianna is hoping Chris Licht reads this tweet and gives her the 9 PM https://t.co/9eH1RHgGDZ pic.twitter.com/v95TDT13U5
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) September 2, 2022
CNN’s Brianna Keilar just attacked Biden for having Marines positioned behind him during his speech. She said the military shouldn’t be “politicized.” They’re not. The military stands against Fascism and they support the President. CNN stands against Biden and supports Fascism.
— Dash Dobrofsky (@DashDobrofsky) September 2, 2022
Brianna Keilar from @CNN wants to focus on the marines in the background during the #bidenspeech instead of what @POTUS said about the threat to our Democracy. Whataboutism too! This is a very bad take & we are not going to let the #MSM do it to us again! Alex Wagner #BoycottCNN
— Dan "I Stand With Ukraine" P (@ddanpereira) September 2, 2022
Our friends at Twitchy also highlighted some of the best responses.
It’s CNN, the new Fox so don’t expect thinking.
— Hint ol’ Descartes (@optphilosophy) September 2, 2022
That statement earned you an un-follow!!! Have a great time at the new fox-lite!!
— Lily campanile (@racerlily) September 2, 2022
Nope. Bad take. The country is under attack. This message crosses political narratives. Which makes your take obsolete.
— SovereignUterus (@amvanatta) September 2, 2022
The best speech ever and this is what you come out with. He’s literally the Commander in Chief. Be better. #Democracy
— Ranni Ames IntolerantLeft???????????? (@AmesOsaycnuc) September 2, 2022
Jennifer Rubin tweeted incessantly about the speech throughout Thursday, spending almost as much time and energy focusing on what a failure CNN has supposedly become.
The obsession that the sycophantic left, including and especially Jen Rubin, has with CNN, is really a sight to behold. Any dissent is now equivalent to that evil MAGA, synonymous with an “extremist threat” and “danger to democracy.” Okay, I’m sorry, who are the real fascists? pic.twitter.com/S0me0u8kQv
— Rebecca Downs (@RebeccaRoseGold) September 2, 2022
CNN is in the business of exemplifying how mainstream media fails to comprehend the crisis to democracy, reducing everything to partisanship. It's hemorrhaging viewers and this won't help.
— Jennifer "Pro-privacy" Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) September 2, 2022
insane whataboutism is the new CNN. Marines are at the WH when the president speaks. Is this new to CNN??
— Jennifer "Pro-privacy" Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) September 2, 2022
They've really gone insane. Morally insane.
— Jennifer "Pro-privacy" Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) September 2, 2022
Excuse me. This is not an RNC convention at the WH … if this is the new CNN, count me out
— Jennifer "Pro-privacy" Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) September 2, 2022
Cc: @DougJBalloon — you’re going to be put out of business by these people
— Jennifer "Pro-privacy" Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) September 2, 2022
The network was also the source of chatter as it appeared they dimmed the lighting to make it look a little less, well, fascist.
Watch the moment CNN slowly adjusts the camera settings when the blood-red lighting behind Dark Brandon is looking a little too authoritarian.
— Mia Cathell (@MiaCathell) September 2, 2022
By the end, the stripes on the American flag are pinkish-purple. https://t.co/IuYGZRbpGZ pic.twitter.com/RgzKrVEEcB
This is hardly the only time that CNN has come under fire in recent weeks. Earlier this week, their fact-checker Daniel Dale took issue with Lauren Windsor and MeidasTouch for sharing an undercover, supposedly gotcha video of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) talking about defunding the FBI.
In case you were wondering why Dash and others aligned with Meidas Touch now love to bash CNN: they’re promoting their own “network.” pic.twitter.com/kcrI0MW6Rk
— Damin Toell (@damintoell) August 31, 2022
Jake Tapper also was the target of collective outrage from the left over his daring to tweet out a column from Salena Zito for the Washington Examiner, about how Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Republican nominee, might have a chance against Democrat John Fetterman in the Pennsylvania senatorial race to fill the open seat to be left by retiring Sen. Pat Toomey, a Republican.
CNN isn't suddenly some MAGA network themselves, though with any hope under new leadership--which has already seen the ousting of Brian Stelter and cancelation of his "Reliable Sources"--it could become slightly less than just a mouthpiece for the Democratic Party and Biden administration. That leftist hacks expect anything other than carrying water for the administration to be the MAGA movement that has become so demonized is another sign of who the real fascists are.