When it comes to defending Donald Trump against the unending mountain of criticism he faces, Jeffrey Lord is one of the more prominent pundits CNN turns to. And considering everything that came out during the Friday news dump this week, the former Ronald Reagan administration official had his work cut out for him during an appearance on Anderson Cooper 360. Especially when the titular host brought up the president’s alleged remarks about fired FBI Director James Comey, whom he called a “nut job.”
“You can’t defend what the President of the United States just said,” Cooper charged. In response, a particularly shouty Lord quipped, “I don’t care what he says to the Russians. He’s the President of the United States!” The conservative commentator, whose previous claims on CNN have included comparing Trump to Martin Luther King Jr. and defending said claim against Don Lemon and others, went so far as to suggest former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush could say whatever they wanted to Russian officials, too.
Cooper, quite literally, called Lord on his b*llshit. “If he took a dump on his desk,” the show host said of Trump,” you would defend it.” The comment garnered laughs from Lord and the rest of the Anderson Cooper 360 panelists, but the anchor himself stood steadfast in his disbelief at the pundit’s defense of the president.
Cooper later apologized to Lord, saying he liked “having [his] voice on here.” Even so, journalists, media figures, and self-described comedians had plenty to say about the insult on Twitter.
Can't believe Jeffrey didn't say "Anderson…Anderson….Woodrow Wilson once took a dump in the street and he was celebrated for it." https://t.co/N7ZcXfCxmW
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) May 20, 2017
https://twitter.com/jbarro/status/865727645140611072
“We have a report that the president took a dump on his desk this morning. Jeffrey Lord, reaction?” https://t.co/I3qKzh9IId
— Allahpundit (@allahpundit) May 20, 2017
Anderson Cooper- Thoughts on Donald Trump taking a dump on his desk?
Jeffrey Lord- It was a strategic move and a glorious dump.
— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) May 20, 2017
Jeff Lord IS a dump Trump took on his desk. https://t.co/XmT40SkbLB
— Keith Olbermann⌚️ (@KeithOlbermann) May 20, 2017