CNN cuts away from Trump’s ‘campaign-type’ Rose Garden speech

CNN cut away from President Trump’s remarks in the White House Rose Garden on Tuesday afternoon, with host Wolf Blitzer explaining to viewers that the remarks were “deteriorating” into what he described as “a campaign-type speech” going after presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden.

“OK, we’re going to continue to monitor the president,” Blitzer said on “The Situation Room” after the network cut away from Trump’s remarks. “He’s clearly deteriorating into a campaign-type speech going after presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.”

The president’s speech was initially intended to announce the Trump administration’s action against China regarding Beijing’s national security law on Hong Kong but veered into a critique of Biden’s campaign speech in Wilmington, Del., earlier in the day.

“He didn’t really get into the major issue facing the country right now, namely this coronavirus pandemic,” Blitzer told CNN chief political analyst Gloria Borger. “He’s talking about China. His policy now is an important decision to take Hong Kong away from the rest of China. … That’s a major decision, but you hear him now railing against Joe Biden.”

“This started out regarding his executive order ending preferential treatment for Hong Kong, signing legislation to that effect,” Borger responded. “But then it deteriorated into what he really wanted to do, which is to deliver a campaign speech from the Rose Garden … and refusing yet again to discuss what is on the minds of the American people, which is, what is your plan to improve your plan on testing in this country so the states can get a handle on COVID?”

Trump has not appeared on CNN since August 2016, during his first White House bid, with the president accusing the network of biased coverage and dismissing it as “fake news” on numerous occasions.

CNN, Fox News and MSNBC carried Biden’s remarks from Delaware earlier Tuesday afternoon in full.