CNN Anchor Slips Up and Shows True Colors — It’s UGLY

CNN anchor Kasie Hunt made a remark during live midterm coverage that drew attention for its wording. While discussing results that showed Republicans losing ground, she said, “And it took us years to get there, too.”

Hunt had earlier described the night as shaping up to be a “blue tsunami.” She noted that the scale matched “the greatest fear for Republicans” and was “something that Democrats didn’t dare to hope for.” Commentator David Axelrod then called the outcome “a repudiation” of President Donald Trump, saying Trump “begged to be on the ballot and he is on the ballot, and the verdict is very, very negative.”

The use of “us” in Hunt’s follow-up comment was highlighted by critics. NewsBusters described it as a “mask-off moment.” The remark came as results indicated large Democratic gains in both the House and Senate.

Hunt has a record of on-air moments that have drawn similar criticism. In 2019, while at MSNBC, she referred to Democratic segregationist senators James Eastland and Herman Talmadge as “two former Republican colleagues” when discussing comments by then-candidate Joe Biden. Both men were Democrats.

In 2024 she aired Democratic campaign advertisements during a segment on the response to the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade, then described them as “just three stories of countless stories like them.” Later that year she ended an interview with Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt after Leavitt raised questions about colleagues’ coverage.

During that exchange Hunt said, “Ma’am, I’m going to stop this interview if you continue to attack my colleagues.” She cut the interview short and returned to the panel. Leavitt had been attempting to respond when the segment ended.

Van Jones, appearing on the same network during the midterm night, was described by the New York Post as openly pleased with the results. The combination of Hunt’s wording and other on-air reactions fueled discussion about the tone of the coverage.

The “us” phrasing was not corrected on air. Hunt continued with the panel discussion after the remark. Clips of the moment circulated on social media shortly afterward.

Axelrod’s characterization of the results as a broad repudiation aligned with the Democratic gains being reported. Hunt’s addition of the personal pronoun shifted the framing from observation to shared experience in the view of those who criticized it. The distinction became the focus of subsequent commentary.

Hunt’s 2019 misidentification of the segregationist senators occurred during a segment on Biden’s past working relationships. The error was noted at the time by observers who pointed out the party affiliation of Eastland and Talmadge. It remained part of the record cited in later discussions of her coverage.

The 2024 interview termination with Leavitt followed Leavitt’s reference to prior statements by CNN figures. Hunt’s decision to end the segment rather than continue the exchange was widely shared. The incident added to the list of moments reviewed when the midterm remark surfaced.

Network coverage on election night included multiple voices assessing the scale of the Democratic performance. Hunt’s role as anchor placed her comments in a different category from those of declared commentators such as Axelrod or Jones. The slip drew particular notice for that reason.

No on-air clarification followed the “us” line. The panel moved on to other aspects of the results. The clip was later posted and discussed outside the original broadcast.

Media-bias tracking organizations have documented earlier Hunt segments. The midterm remark fit an existing pattern in those compilations. CNN has not issued a public statement addressing the specific wording.

The results themselves showed Democrats gaining control of both chambers. Hunt’s description of the night as a blue tsunami matched the numbers being reported at the time. The additional phrase is what separated the comment from standard election analysis.

Viewers and critics treated the wording as revealing. Whether it was a verbal slip or an unguarded statement remains a matter of interpretation. The broadcast record contains the line as delivered.

The episode occurred amid extensive live coverage of a high-stakes election night. Multiple anchors and analysts spoke throughout the evening. Hunt’s remark became one of the more circulated moments from CNN’s programming.