CNN's Brianna Keilar GOES OFF on Mercedes Schlapp Over Voter Fraud: 'You're Just Saying a Bunch of Crap!'

AP featured image — FILE – This Jan. 17, 2001 file photo shows pedestrians entering CNN Center, the headquarters for CNN, in downtown Atlanta. The latest rough patch for CNN illustrates the two contradictions at the network’s heart. In a brutal time for the news business, CNN is one of the few media organizations thriving while its most visible part in the United States, prime-time on the flagship network, is hurting. The company has built its brand on nonpartisan reporting, while CNN’s audience tilts Democratic as much or more as Fox News Channel’s audience is Republican. (AP Photo/Ric Feld, File)

On today’s episode of “The Most Trusted Name in News,” CNN’s Brianna Keilar lost it — again — on Tuesday. This time, with Trump campaign advisor Mercedes Schlapp over mail-in voting.

As reported by Fox News, Keilar began the testy exchange with Schlapp, who remained calm throughout the segment, by declaring that voter fraud is “statistically insignificant.” As Schlapp was attempting to explain Donald Trump’s position on voter fraud, Keilar interrupted and asked for specific examples. Schlapp replied:

“We do have an issue with mail-in fraud. You might not think so. I think that any fraud should be unacceptable and I think we have to preserve the integrity of this election and voter integrity as well.

Schlapp then pointed to “ballot harvesting” in Nevada where she accused the state legislature of changing the law to allow voters to cast ballots up to three days after Election Day.

Trump on Monday threatened to sue Nevada over the state’s new mail-in ballot law, which allows votes to be counted up to one week after election day, as Schlapp told Keilar.

In an illegal late night coup, Nevada’s clubhouse Governor made it impossible for Republicans to win the state. Post Office could never handle the Traffic of Mail-In Votes without preparation. Using Covid to steal the state. See you in Court! https://t.co/cNSPINgCY7

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 3, 2020

Keilar being Keilar, she said it’s the “Republicans” who have been harvesting ballots as of late; she provided zero examples, of course.

So back and forth they went, with Keilar disagreeing with Schlapp’s (correct) claim that mail-in ballots are often “unverified,” insisting there are “safety precautions in place.”

As a relevant aside, in March I reported about a cat in Atlanta receiving a voter registration form in the mail.

Even worse: the cat has been dead for 12 years.

Deceased cat gets voter registration application in the mail https://t.co/PL66MwZe7k

— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) July 10, 2020

As the back-and-forth continued, Keilar continued to lose her cool.

“Mercedes, why are you doing that? Because it appears that it’s to sow doubt in the minds of people about whether their votes are going to matter. Why are you villainizing mail-in voting which would give people the ability to practice their right as an American to vote?”

Schlapp again brought up Nevada, asking Keilar if she thought it was “okay” for the state to allow voters to vote — three days after the election. That’s when our intrepid CNN host became unglued.

“Mercedes, this is just pointless, okay? This is pointless. I get it, you’re just saying a bunch of crap, okay? You’re saying a bunch of crap.”

CNN's Brianna Keilar is finally over it with Mercedes Schlapp:
"This is just pointless, okay. This is pointless. I get it, you’re just saying a bunch of crap. Okay. You’re saying a bunch of crap….we're taking about voting in a pandemic…" pic.twitter.com/kEO2McWZgK

— Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) August 4, 2020

To be fair, while Trump has generally railed against mail-in voting, he has sent mixed messages. Last week he appeared to declare that mail-in voting, regardless of where it occurs, will be “totally rigged.”

The 2020 Election will be totally rigged if Mail-In Voting is allowed to take place, & everyone knows it. So much time is taken talking about foreign influence, but the same people won’t even discuss Mail-In election corruption. Look at Patterson, N.J. 20% of vote was corrupted!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2020

But on Tuesday, he tweeted that he has full confidence about “safe and secure” “vote by mail” and “absentee voting” in Florida.

Whether you call it Vote by Mail or Absentee Voting, in Florida the election system is Safe and Secure, Tried and True. Florida’s Voting system has been cleaned up (we defeated Democrats attempts at change), so in Florida I encourage all to request a Ballot & Vote by Mail! #MAGA

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 4, 2020

More than likely, Trump’s position on vote-by-mail in Florida is based on his belief that Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis will oversee a fair process.

As I noted at the top, Keilar has suffered other on-air meltdowns with Trump officials, most recently in late July, as reported by my RedState colleague Sister Toldyah.

Keilar lost her cool with Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh after he cited comments by Dr. Anthony Fauci about the use of hydroxychloroquine and how some studies have shown it’s an effective drug when used in combination with other treatments.

That Keilar hissy fit continued on Twitter, with the hopelessly-biased host ultimately going down to defeat, courtesy of facts, prompting RedState managing editor Streiff to wonder aloud if Keilar would “do the right thing” and apologize to Murtaugh.

hey @brikeilarcnn have you apologized yet? I know you don’t do journalism all that well, but how about common courtesy after accusing someone of lying?

— streiff (@streiffredstate) July 21, 2020

There was no apology, of course. No doubt Streiff’s tweet was typed with tongue planted firmly in cheek. After all, “The Most Trusted Name in News” is never wrong. Particularly while attacking all-things Trump.