Al Franken Gets Booed By A Cleveland Crowd After Joking About The ‘Ugly’ City

Senator Al Franken stopped by MSNBC’s Morning Joe on Thursday to give his two cents about the status of the Republican National Convention. What started out as a simple press appearance turned into a bit of a misunderstanding after Franken inadvertently dissed the city of Cleveland.

The interview started off harmless with Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough tossing Franken a softball question about Ted Cruz. When asked if the two senators socialize in Washington, Franken bluntly responded that he doesn’t like Cruz without a hint of irony in his voice. While they may not bond while on Capitol Hill, Franken said he does not blame Cruz for not endorsing Donald Trump for president.

As the interview progressed, Franken gave his opinion on what he has seen at the convention so far. But this line of questioning began a bit awkward to say the least. Scarborough asked Franken what are his biggest concerns so far, with Franken replying “how ugly it is.”

Anyone who was listening to the interview could tell Franken was referring to the RNC, but the bar full of Clevelanders took it as a personal attack and started booing him. No one messes with the Forest City! This was a city that just won an NBA Championship, so you would assume the chip was removed from its shoulders.

After being calmed down by the hosts, Franken was quick to about face and called it a beautiful town to thunderous applause. But the interview righted ship and Franken spouted his thoughts about the convention, most notably bringing up Chris Christie’s speech. The official list of speakers for the Democratic National Convention has yet to be announced, but don’t be surprised if Franken ends up there. His career as a comedy writer and blunt speaker could come in handy for Democrats in Philadelphia next week.

(MSNBC & The Washington Free Beacon)

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