On the same day CBS fired one of its network executives, Hayley Geftman-Gold, after she took to social media to explain why she was "not even sympathetic" to victims of the Las Vegas shooting because "country music fans often are Republican," CNN had its own "zen moment" of victim-blaming and stereotyping of innocent concertgoers caught up in the horrific carnage at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival, when during a live broadcast Monday morning, CNN reporter Jeff Zeleny suggested that most of the victims were Trump supporters for the mere fact that they were attending a country music event.
While describing President Trump's morning press conference on the tragedy which resulted in more than 59 killed and 527 injured, Zeleny said, "Something else I think to keep in mind, a lot of these country music supporters were likely Trump supporters."
Watch 1:20 into the clip...
Standing in front of the White House, CNN's Senior White House Correspondent claimed (starting at 1:10): "Something else I think to keep in mind, a lot of these country music supporters were likely Trump supporters."
Zeleny had described Trump's words as "pitch perfect" and seemed to imply that the concert goers were part of Trump's political base - ironic given that the CNN reporter prefaced his comments by saying it wasn't appropriate to discuss politics so close in time to the tragedy. Zeleny said just before the brazen "Trump supporters" comment - without a hint of irony - that, "after today and tomorrow it will become a discussion of politics, of guns. It's not appropriate for that moment today." He also noted that Trump has a hotel in Las Vegas near the site of the massacre before saying of the president: “So, this is something I'm not surprised at all to see him go there visiting early.”
Though it's unclear exactly what Zeleny was trying to say precisely about Trump's speech - perhaps insinuating that Trump was really just playing politics while only appearing to be a unifier - what is clear is that the CNN correspondent likened listeners of country music or anyone merely attending a country music concert as automatic Trump supporters. Worse is that the comments came just hours after the deadliest shooting in American history where common people of all backgrounds had their lives cut short while they incidentally happened to be enjoying country music. Further ironic is that Zeleny said of Trump's words, "particularly for a speech like this you want to get every word right...".
CNN has a recent history of making such shockingly offensive and sweeping generalizations of average Americans soon after mass tragedies. Immediately after the racial violence and death at Charlottesville, for example, CNN ran a headline prominently on its homepage which said, White supremacists by default’: How ordinary people made Charlottesville possible and argued, "But the tragedy that took place in Charlottesville this month could not have occurred without the tacit acceptance of millions of ordinary, law-abiding Americans who helped create such a racially explosive climate, some activists, historians and victims of extremism say."
It's no wonder that so many Americans are increasingly choosing to turn off the major networks, especially CNN, which seems to insult them at every turn, even mere hours after the most tragic mass shooting in US history.
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Live Coverage10/2/1710:58am ET
JEFF ZELENY: By saying he will go to Las Vegas on Wednesday, by visiting, it is something that puts him in line with what so many presidents before him have done and paid their respects. Of course, Las Vegas is a town that he [Trump] is connected to and knows well. His name is emblazoned on the top of a hotel there as well. He campaigned there a lot. So, this is something I'm not surprised at all to see him go there visiting early. But, again, I think the moment here is what comes after this. This invariably after today and tomorrow, will become a discussion of politics, of guns. It's not appropriate for that moment today. You will hear it from some Democrats. What will the President do in that respect? Will he take a leadership role in that respect? We will watch that as the days unfold, but the President clearly, as John said, striking a pitch-perfect tone there.
Something else, I think, to keep in mind, a lot of these country music supporters were likely Trump supporters. This is hitting the tapestry of all Americans and there are going to be victims from across the country here. So this is something that is a national tragedy as the President said and the flags he ordered at half staff today in memory and thought of all of the victims in Las Vegas.