CNN is drawing fire for including on its political panels this week Andy Dean, a Donald Trump surrogate who formerly competed on NBC’s “The Apprentice.
“Did CNN just find this official Trump supporter at a rally beating up a protestor? Who is this guy?” Talking Points Memo’s Josh Marshall asked Tuesday evening. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a panel where all the panelists are laughing at one fool and not even trying to hide it.”
Nieman Labs’ Joshua Benton added, “Including a committed Trump supporter on CNN’s panels is not raising the level of discourse.”
Dean is a former talk radio host, and has appeared as a political commentator on Fox News and HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher. CNN nevertheless billed him simply as a “Trump supporter.”
This likely has to do with the fact that Dean scored himself a spot running Trump Productions after his stint on “The Apprentice.”
“A total Trump lackey,” said Reason’s Peter Suderman.
For some in the press, particularly in left-leaning newsrooms, Dean is absolutely unbearable, and a total joke to news media.
“This CNN Trump supporter, Andy Dean, is a tool if I’ve ever seen one,” said Media Matters For America’s Stephanie Salamon.
Marshall continued Tuesday evening, “Does anyone know why CNN always has an official Trump supporter on its panel?”
“The Trump supporter on CNN is one of the stupidest people I have ever seen on TV,” Salon’s Jack Mirkinson added. “CNN’s insistence on always having a ‘Trump supporter’ as part of its campaign panels is mystifying to me.”
