CNN political commentator S.E. Cupp said Wednesday on “Newsroom” that she did not believe Americans were upset that the FBI raided former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.
Host Victor Blackwell said, “On this search specifically, we know that Trump’s base, the 30% or whatever of Republicans, they are energized by this. Do you think that this brings some of those Republicans who were starting to separate after the January 6 hearings thinking maybe someone else, this pulls them back?”
Cupp said, “I think we’re making too much of what this means for voters who were always going to vote for Trump, and so, of course, they’re energized. They were always energized. It’s not like they needed this pick me up. They were always with Trump, and this just solidifies what they always thought about the deep state and the conspiracy theories. If you were turned off by January 6, something like this will probably continue to turn you off. This is an awful week for the president and the country. I mean, he’s facing several lawsuits, his tax returns are going to be overturned, his home office was searched by the FBI. This isn’t good. So I think if you were already getting a whiff of wanting to move on thinking this guy’s probably corrupt and maybe even got some, you know, facing some criminal charges, I think this continues to push you in that direction.”
Network political commentator David Urban said, “I think Republicans writ large care a great deal about overreach from the Department of Justice and from the federal government writ large, right? I think that small government, you know, Republicans, small government Republicans find this repugnant and repulsive. In the history of the republic, nothing like this has occurred, and so I disagree with her. This has made Donald Trump a sympathetic character, which is very hard to do. I think it’s made him sympathetic amongst a great deal more Republicans. Your question at the beginning of that, has this helped the president? I think they have. I think people who may have been outside the tent may be more inclined to be damn the torpedos, full speed ahead now that this has occurred.”
Cupp said, “I think this a Trumpworld talking point that all across the country people are very concerned about the overreach and losing confidence in the FBI and the Justice Department now, that is true amongst MAGA world, but I think most people across the country think if you didn’t —”
Urban interjected, “No, no, no. S.E., come out of the bubble. Come out of the bubble, S.E.”
Cupp shot back, “Let me finish. If you didn’t leave the White House with classified documents, you don’t have to worry that the FBI is coming to raid your home office. I think most people think holding even the president accountable is good. That’s a good thing. That’s a sign of a healthy Justice Department and a healthy FBI. This Trump world talking point that the FBI is corrupt and the Justice Department is coming for average Americans is preposterous.”
Cupp concluded, “I don’t think people, wide swaths of Americans, believe that the FBI is corrupt and coming for them because they went for a president who set the precedent for doing things that no other president had ever done before. Some of which may, in fact, be criminal.”
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