On Monday's New Day on CNN, Daily Beast's John Avlon likened Indiana Governor Mike Pence's defense of his state's new religious freedom law to George Wallace's fight for racial segregation. Avlon asserted that Republican politicians "don't want to say they're in favor of bigotry. So what you get is that incredibly awkward stonewalling by Mike Pence." He added that "this puts him in the same position as George Wallace...by saying that...I'm not in favor of segregation. I never have been. This is about states' rights and the Constitution."
John Avlon
By Matthew Balan | March 4, 2015 | 7:21 PM EST
Socially liberal Republican consultant Margaret Hoover went on a tear against Dr. Ben Carson on Wednesday's New Day on CNN for his remarks earlier in the program on same-sex "marriage." Hoover twice attacked the potential Republican presidential candidate as "untethered to reality," due to his views on homosexuality, and for his apparent audacity to even consider running for top federal office. She added that "this sinks any nomination" for Carson.
By Matthew Balan | January 26, 2015 | 5:32 PM EST
John Avlon unsurprisingly bashed conservatives on Monday's New Day on CNN during a panel discussion on potential 2016 Republican presidential candidates. Avlon labeled the recent Iowa Freedom Summit "the dean of the crazy caucus, Steve King's, cattle call," and asserted that the media covered the conference because "it's the place most likely for a Republican aspirant to say something incredibly crazy in an attempt to pander to the base out in Iowa. So, we're all hoping for the car crash – and there were a lot of them."
By Matthew Balan | October 21, 2014 | 5:05 PM EDT
John Avlon, who has modeled himself as a "no labels" moderate, acted as a liberal on Tuesday's New Day on CNN, as he gave his take on Monica Lewinsky's recent "cyberbullying" speech. Avlon praised the "so thoughtful and funny speech, and contended that "it reminds us 16 years after that constitutional crisis – that celebrity-driven scandal – the human collateral damage in that political witch hunt."
By Connor Williams | August 11, 2014 | 12:10 PM EDT
Are the folks at CNN abandoning President Obama’s foreign policy? Well, yes, but only to throw praise upon former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ahead of a likely 2016 presidential run. On the August 11 edition of New Day, a panel discussed President Obama’s airstrikes in northern Iraq and Mrs. Clinton’s comments about his often disjointed foreign policy.
Reacting to Hillary telling The Atlantic that “don’t do stupid stuff” does not represent coherent foreign policy, host Kate Bolduan seemed to support Clinton, doubting it was enough. CNN contributor and Daily Beast editor John Avlon agreed with the New Day host, saying it was “not an organizing principle,” and praised Clinton for differentiating herself from the President on issues of foreign policy. He argued, in fact, that Hillary was the kind of Democrat neo-conservatives could support: [MP3 audio here; video below]
By Connor Williams | June 27, 2014 | 12:35 PM EDT
On the June 27 edition of CNN Newsroom, a panel discussed new calls from Ted Cruz that the IRS scandal needs a special prosecutor. John Avlon of The Daily Beast wasn’t buying it, trashing the Texas senator for leading a supposed witch hunt. He also argued that the root of the problem was the Citizens United ruling, and that the real solution is more campaign finance reform.
When host Carol Costello questioned Avlon about the necessity of a special prosecutor, he rushed to dismiss the issue: “I think probably a special prosecutor is at this moment not necessary as is calling for the impeachment of the Attorney General of the United States...Whenever Ted Cruz or Darrell Issa walks into the matter it immediately turns into a partisan hackathon as opposed to a search for the truth.” Thankfully, Will Cain of The Blaze was there to counter Avlon, and offered quite the opposite perspective [MP3 audio here; video below]:
By Matthew Balan | June 25, 2014 | 4:40 PM EDT
On Wednesday's New Day on CNN, The Daily Beast's John Avlon and his wife, Margaret Hoover, gloated over the recent defeats of Tea Party-backed candidates in Republican primaries. Avlon strongly hinted that the grassroots conservatives movement was full of crazy people: "Don't call it the establishment. It's the sanity caucus."
Anchor Kate Bolduan wondered if former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's loss earlier in June was a "one-off." Hoover rattled off a list of prominent conservatives who apparently defeated in the wake of Mississippi Republican Senate candidate Chris McDaniel's defeat on Tuesday: [MP3 audio available here; video below the jump]
By Matthew Balan | June 23, 2014 | 2:45 PM EDT
On Monday's New Day, CNN's Kate Bolduan blasted conservative super PAC America Rising for a supposedly bigoted attack on Hillary Clinton. The group recently attacked the former secretary of state as being out of touch: "If Hillary is going to run for president, she might be advised to take a lengthy sabbatical from her $200,000 per pop speaking tour and private shopping sprees at Bergdorfs to try and reconnect with what's happening back here on Earth."
Bolduan asserted that America Rising's statement was a "stupid, sexist remark on a shopping spree that has nothing to do with...or shouldn't have anything to do with" the recent criticism of Clinton for her "dead broke" claim. [MP3 audio available here; video below the jump]
By Connor Williams | June 13, 2014 | 5:40 PM EDT
On the June 13 edition of CNN Newsroom, Carol Costello and company defended Hillary Clinton from the media’s criticism of her interview with Terry Gross of NPR. John Avlon of The Daily Beast cheered that “you got a glimpse of authenticity from Hillary Clinton” in the exchange.
Costello took a different route for defending Hillary [MP3 audio here; video below]:
By Matt Hadro | December 12, 2013 | 1:18 PM EST
CNN hosts and analysts actively cheered the House budget deal and scoffed at Tea Party conservatives who opposed it, on Wednesday and Thursday.
"I think this is great, what we're hearing here. You've got Boehner saying the fringe types, back off. We're here to do a job. We have to compromise," New Day co-host Chris Cuomo relished the Speaker's rebuke of the Tea Party on Thursday morning.
By Matt Hadro | September 23, 2013 | 5:58 PM EDT
On Monday morning's New Day, CNN continued whacking Republicans who voted to defund Obamacare after comparing them to "inmates" who were "running the asylum" on Friday.
CNN contributor John Avlon said the "defund" movement has a "racket element" and is pure "fantasy." Correspondent Jim Acosta called some House Republicans "shutdown supporters" though that was incorrect since the continuing resolution that passed the House on Friday still funded the government minus Obamacare.
By Matt Hadro | August 1, 2013 | 4:55 PM EDT
Former Nixon speechwriter Ben Stein took a shot at new CNN film "Our Nixon" on Wednesday, calling it "extremely one-sided." The film will air on CNN Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET. This comes as CNN plans to roll out a film about Hillary Clinton, the maker of which is "excited" to tell of her "fascinating life and work."
Stein acknowledged that the Nixon film "is a great documentary. But it's extremely one-sided." He added that "the first hour is absolutely fabulous. Mesmerizing, as you said, unbelievably interesting. The second hour is very one-sided. Because it talks about how he got brought down by Watergate. But it doesn't talk about how he sat up a generation of peace."