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It appears that CNN, even under CEO Chris Licht, who has vowed to convert the embattled network into a legitimate news outlet, is incapable of knocking off its blatantly partisan foolishness. Toss in Jim Acosta, S.E. Cupp, and veteran Democrat operative James Carville, and we’re talking full-blown Clown World.

Such was the case on Saturday as the trio attempted to CNN-‘splain why tens of millions of Americans are outraged over Joe Biden’s prisoner swap of notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, AKA: “The Merchant of Death,” for WNBA player Brittney Griner, leaving behind U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who remains in a Russian prison where he has sat since 2018, despite having committed no crime.

Cupp, who absurdly claims to be a conservative, theorized that House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (and untold numbers of Americans not named Kevin McCarthy) criticized the swap because Griner is a “Black lesbian,” after Carville baselessly declared the uproar was because Griner is “not White” and “not straight.”

Acosta, infamous for his obsession with Donald Trump throughout Trump’s presidency, began the festivities by playing a clip of McCarthy commenting on Griner’s release. As transcribed by NewsBusters, the GOP leader said:

I’m glad an American’s coming home — she was arrested for a trumped up charge — but to exchange the “merchant of death” for this, it’s made us weaker, it’s made Putin stronger, and it’s made Americans more vulnerable.

That was a correct statement. Jimbo, however, wasn’t happy with it, as he teed up Carville: “James, what’s your reaction to that? What do you think of that?” Carville went full Ragin’ Cajun, as is his normal proclivity:

So, Jim, I’m going to say something controversial, but I’m going to preface it with something true. There are some people who legitimately say that prisoner exchanges just encourage more hostage-taking, I —40 percent — agree with them, but that’s a legitimate policy position. Does anyone in their right mind think that if Brittney was a [blonde] Chi Omega from SMU that the reaction would have been the same? Of course not.

There it is: the race card, whipped out in a flash. Not to be outdone, Cupp took it a step further:

It’s — and it’s been worse over at Fox News and NewsMax, you know, two places that really profess to love this country — and it sure didn’t sound like it if you listened to a lot of them really trashing the homecoming of an American citizen. Listen, as James says, there are reasons to be critical of this deal — it was imperfect.

But there’s no reason not to celebrate Brittney Griner coming home unless — I don’t know — you’re mad that she’s a Black lesbian or maybe unless because Joe Biden was instrumental in her release and he’s a Democrat, and so you don’t want to give him any credit.

Or unless it’s perhaps because you don’t love this country as much as you say you do, and as much as you pretend to, and instead you’d rather side with our enemy, Russia, and Putin. None of the scenarios are good here, but that’s the math. There’s no way around it.

Yeah, there’s a “way around it” —and the way is easy.

Cupp tried to equate trading a prisoner called by some “the most dangerous man in the world” with trading a basketball player who broke Russian law by trying to smuggle hash oil into the country — a charge to which Griner pleaded guilty. Russia or not, when in a foreign country, don’t break the laws of that country. That, or play stupid games and win stupid prizes.

Meanwhile, Paul Whelan remains in a Russian prison.

Content with Carville and Cupp’s predetermined answers, Acosta closed the segment with:

All right, James Carville, S.E. Cupp, great to see both of you. Appreciate it.

Of course, he appreciated it — he’s Jim Acosta.