CNN’s Angela Rye Claims ‘America Has Never Been Great,’ Blasts Trump Supporter for Mentioning Adopted Disabled Minority Son

Angela Rye
CNN

CNN political commentator Angela Rye claimed on Wednesday evening that “America has never been great” and snapped at Gina Loudon, who serves on President Donald Trump’s 2020 reelection advisory council, for bringing up that she adopted a minority child with Down Syndrome.

The left-wing activist who was formerly the executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus lost it after Loudon touted the country’s “pretty amazing history of overcoming slavery, of expanding civil rights, of women’s rights.” Loudon said that “a lot of those things happened under American presidents who didn’t have any minorities at all on their White Houses.”

Though Loudon explicitly said she felt that Trump’s White House could “be better” when it comes to diversity, Rye put words in Loudon’s mouth and said it didn’t matter what Loudon said because Rye said she heard Loudon say, “We don’t necessarily need diversity in this White House.”

“That’s not what I said,” Loudon immediately responded. “That is not what I said.”

Rye then said: “Let me tell you what I heard, I don’t think you hardly understand… You’re going to keep talking over me. My black life matters and so does my voice. Listen to what I’m saying to you. What you said was deeply offensive.”

Later in the segment, when Loudon mentioned that she has an adopted minority son who has Down Syndrome, Rye, seething with anger, rolled her eyes and even turned her head away from the camera.

“I have an adopted minority son, yes, I do, who happens to have Down’s syndrome. He experiences bigotry every single day in a myriad of ways, not just skin color, but also because of his disability,” Loudon said, causing Rye to become visibly angry. “And I understand that you and I don’t agree, but I would not support a president I believed would be a threat to his future.”

Agreeing with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s remarks earlier in the day, Rye then angrily said, “America has never been great. It is not great because people like you come on and lie for the president of the United States and tout, bring out your son as an example? You should be completely ashamed of yourself.”

GINA LOUDON, MEMBER OF PRESIDENT TRUMP’S 2020 RE-ELECT ADVISORY COUNCIL: You know, what disappoints me is the division and the fact that we’re having to count people based on their skin color, I don’t like that. And I think that, you know, you look back at our history, we have a pretty amazing history of overcoming slavery, of expanding civil rights, of women’s rights, and a lot of those things happened under American presidents who didn’t have any minorities at all on their White Houses.

Thank God we do. I looked over the list of people I know there, about one-third are a minority or women. Those are great strides. Could they be better? Absolutely.

[…]

ANGELA RYE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think I got stuck at Gina saying that American presidents have done a great deal for people of color like ending slavery? Like I think I’m stuck in 1865 right now. Like I can’t believe that’s —

LOUDON: That was a Republican president.

RYE: You know what, sis? And that’s great, but you just really missed the mark. For you to have to say, right, that we don’t necessarily need diversity in this White House.

LOUDON: That’s not what I said. That is not what I said.

RYE: Let me tell you what I heard, I don’t think you hardly understand.

(CROSSTALK)

RYE: You’re going to keep talking over me. My black life matters and so does my voice. Listen to what I’m saying to you.

What you said was deeply offensive. What I am telling you is you can’t say, at least you shouldn’t feel comfortable saying it in 2018 that this White House not having diversity can be akin to presidents who didn’t have any black people on their staff —

LOUDON: They do have diversity.

RYE: — but for slavery, freeing slaves. Like that’s not OK in 2018.

LOUDON: Thank God it happened.

RYE: I let you talk through all of that nonsense. I just need you to let me finish my point. My point is this.

You’re not going to be able to successfully name one black person who works in the West Wing because you know what, Omarosa didn’t even work in the West Wing. So, regardless of your points about slavery which are nonsense, I hope you RIP those talking points tonight, they should never be resurrected.

I’m telling you it is a problem in this White House with the staff, the reason is it’s slim pickings. You know why? Because nobody wants to work for a racist. There’s not a single senior black person in the White House, and don’t you dare say to me Ben Carson because he doesn’t work there, how dare his gifted hand who is a brain surgeon and who has never done anything on a construction project become the secretary of housing and urban development. This whole administration is nonsense just like your talking points.

BURNETT: Go ahead, Gina.

LOUDON: You know, Angela, I understand your feelings on this but here’s my point.

RYE: No, you don’t.

LOUDON: I have an adopted minority son, yes, I do, who happens to have Down’s syndrome. He experiences bigotry every single day in a myriad of ways, not just skin color, but also because of his disability.

And I understand that you and I don’t agree, but I would not support a president I believed would be a threat to his future.

RYE: Well, you are.

LOUDON: I would like a constructive conversation. I think, you know, I think points like yours that are focusing only on the negative and not even acknowledging 700,000 new jobs for black people in this country, record low unemployment and the rest of it, it is tantamount to what Andrew Cuomo said that upset me, too, that America has never been great. Not focusing on what we’ve done well —

(CROSSTALK)

RYE: America has never been great. It is not great because people like you come on and lie for the president of the United States and tout, bring out your son as an example? You should be completely ashamed of yourself.

LOUDON: What America is doing well. And how about look at what we can do and agree to build on it — rather than call each other names, and cut each other down and be divisive. I don’t think this is — I think America is tired of the division, Angela.

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