Former cable news host Keith Olbermann criticized CNN during his Countdown with Keith Olbermann podcast for the responses of several of its on-air talent to the speech given by President Joe Biden on Thursday.
During his speech, Biden discussed the ongoing threat to democracy in America from what he called “semi-fascists”.
“People from NBC, and CBS, and ABC, and the AP, and major newspapers all struggled with the newness of Biden’s approach last night as indeed they all struggled with the newness and evil of Trump’s approach,” Olbermann said. “But CNN deserves to be singled out. We know it has installed a hatchet man for Joe Scarborough as its new president. We know its new owner thinks Brett Baier of Fox News is not only not a biased propogandist but a role model for journalism. And three of its correspondents know this as well.”
He then criticized anchors Poppy Harlow and Brianna Keller and reporter Jeff Zeleny by name for their responses before, during, and after Biden’s speech. Harlow said Biden should issue an apologies to Republicans. Keller and Zeleny said the presence of soldiers behind Biden went against decorum that should keep the military apolitical. Olbermann then noted the marines stationed behind Biden during the speech are permanently stationed at Independence Hall, where Biden spoke.
Before leveling his criticism of CNN, Olbermann slammed the entire political news media in the country for their inability to digest any new approach from a political figure.
“Political media in this country is its own industry that only understands its past and its own language. It cannot be flexible, it cannot respond to new threats, it is unable to function without first shoving everything that ever happens into one of the dozen or less templates that are the only things it can comprehend or process.”
