CNN's Baldwin Amused Over Bad Reception for Cruz, Bristles at Kasich on Rape

April 15th, 2016 7:10 PM

On Friday's CNN Newsroom with Brooke Baldwin, host Baldwin and guest Jackie Kucinich of the Daily Beast both seemed amused by reports that GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz got a negative reception at a New York Republican dinner, and, a bit later, Baldwin seemed to bristle at John Kasich because the Ohio Republican advised a college student at a town hall to avoid parties with alcohol to reduce her chances of being sexually assaulted.



At 2:22 p.m. ET, recalling Cruz's speech in New York, the CNN host mocked the GOP candidate:

I'm going to turn to you and ask you about Ted Cruz. Apparently his opening line was, "I haven't built any buildings in New York City." [pauses to smile imitating Ted Cruz] And he was waiting for an applause that never -- never came. While he was speaking, plates were clinking, the chatter continued. I'm looking at your face like "Awwww."

Kucinich seemed amused by the negative news about the Texas Republican as she responded:

No, there wasn't any love lost for Ted Cruz. He hasn't really caught on in New York, and the polls show. This wasn't supposed to be his best state. His New York values comment certainly didn't help him, but, yeah, it is sort of sad for Ted Cruz that he was openly shamed at this dinner last night. People were leaving and just kind of ignoring him.

Baldwin then turned to finding fault with Kasich as she pivoted:

Let me talk about John Kasich because we've just turned around some sound. John Kasich was speaking. This was a town hall in Watertown, New York. ... A college student has just asked him how he would make her feel safe with regard to sexual violence, harassment and rape on college campus. And apparently the governor did list a number of measures they've enacted in his home state of Ohio, encouraged sexual assault victims to seek justice, and then he said this.

After a clip of Kasich recalling ways that sexual assault victims are aided at colleges in Ohio in which he ended by advising against attending parties with alcohol, Baldwin turned to Kucinich and disapprovingly posed: "Okay, as a woman -- and I'm looking at you, fellow female talking here -- listen, I feel like he gave all this excellent advice. I think he should have just stopped before that last comment."

Kucinich defended Kasich as she responded:

Yeah, but Kasich does have a tendency to sound sort of like the '60s dad. And that's what that sounds like. I don't think it was malicious -- or not malicious at all. I don't think he meant to be politically incorrect there. I think it was an honest answer. He does -- he's got two 16-year-olds, and I can totally hear a lot of dads from Ohio saying the exact-

After the CNN host jumped in to inject, "Saying, 'Honey, don't go to the party if there's alcohol,'" Kucinich agreed: "'Honey, don't go to the party if there's alcohol. Take care of yourself.'"