In stark contrast to his CNN colleagues Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon downplaying the significant revelations about former National Security Adviser Susan Rice unmasking the names of members of the Donald Trump team on intelligence reports, Inside Politics host John King scoffed Tuesday afternoon at Rice's change of stories about her role. When someone known for liberal hackery openly mocks Rice, you know the dam is bursting even at CNN.
The source of King's mockery is the contradictory accounts by Rice on two different videos. The first video introduced by King is from Rice's March 22 appearance on PBS.
JOHN KING: This is Susan Rice a short time ago on the PBS Newshour with Judy Woodruff. When asked at first, her name was not involved at first in the conversation at this point. When asked at first the House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes says there was unmasking done by Obama administration officials.
(begin tape)
SUSAN RICE: I know nothing about this. I was surprised to see reports from Chairman Nunes on that count today. I really don't know to what Chairman Nunes was referring. But he said that whatever he was referring to was a legal lawful surveillance and that it was potentially incidental collection on American citizens.
(end tape)
And now King's intro, with a reminder, to the second interview with Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC on April 4:
KING: Uh, remember the beginning of that. "I know nothing about this." This is the same Susan Rice moments ago on MSNBC.
(begin tape)
RICE: There occasions when I would receive a report in which a U.S. person was referred to. Name not provided. Just U.S. person. And sometimes in that context in order to understand the importance of the report and assess its significance it was necessary to find out or request the information as to who that U.S. official was.
(end tape)
KING: Not to be a jerk here but will the real Susan Rice please stand up?
Yahoo! News chief Washington correspondent Olivier Knox also joined in the mirthful mockery:
OLIVIER KNOX: The second part of that on MSNBC there a perfectly logical explanation on how unmasking works but the problem is the previous comment in which she denies any knowledge of it so she can't in the same breath...
KING: Welcome to the witness list.
KNOX: Yeah, I mean, come on!
Exit question: Will Jeff Zucker be able to contain the Rice mockery within his own CNN?
