CNN Analyst: Trump Media Attacks From Supremacist's Playbook

CNN political analyst Kirsten Powers asserted Friday night that President Trump's recent attacks against black public figures and members of the news media are "out of the white supremacist playbook."

Kirsten Powers

Powers argued during an appearance on CNN that there was a "racial component" to Trump's pushback earlier in the day against CNN reporter Abby Phillip, saying his response to her question was "disproportionate."

Trump slammed Phillip, saying she asks "a lot of stupid questions" after she asked whether new acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker was going to try to rein in special council Robert Mueller's investigation.

"I don't think that it's a coincidence that he talks about — whether it's [CNN anchor] Don Lemon having a low IQ or [Rep.] Maxine Waters [D-Calif.] has a low IQ, or LeBron James has a low IQ," said Powers, who is a USA Today columnist and former Fox News contributor.

Michael Caputo

"And now we’re supposed to believe Abby Phillip is asking a stupid question. There’s a constant theme here. It’s frankly out of the white supremacist playbook. This is classic white supremacy," she said.

Cooper brought in Republican strategist and Trump supporter Michael Caputo and asked if he agreed with Powers.

"I don’t. The president is a equal opportunity abuser," Caputo maintained. "When it comes to the media, I don’t believe the president is anti-black anymore than I believe that [CNN chief White House correspondent] Jim Acosta is anti-woman because he was mean to [press secretary Sarah Huckabee] Sanders or treated a White House intern with disrespect during the press conference."

"The president treats all media the same way. Especially those who attack him," Caputo said. "The president was, grew up and came of age in the New York City media market. That’s a brutal place. He’s always been punching back at reporters for decades. And I think this is, the idea it’s white supremacy or he’s a racist, it’s just another trope."

IMPORTANT THREAD.

Trump is not an 'equal opportunity offender.' His attacks on African American women are racist and out of the white supremacist playbook that black people are stupid and have 'low IQ's' -- a favorite argument of Richard Spencer, David Duke and 'alt-right.' https://t.co/X4hEoFguSX

— Kirsten Powers (@KirstenPowers) November 10, 2018