CNN: No Beeper Jokes Allowed, But Mocking Drug Addiction Is A-OK

CNN, over the past week, has made it clear what kind of attacks will and will not be allowed to pass unchallenged on the network’s airwaves.

Guest panelist and radio host Tavis Smiley got a pass on Thursday when he claimed that Republican vice presidential nominee and sitting U.S. Senator JD Vance had “mommy issues” — despite the highly public nature of Vance’s childhood with a mother who struggled with opioid addiction.

WATCH:

A guest on CNN just said that @JDVance has "mommy issues" to the laughter of host @abbydphillip.

JD Vance's mother, Beverly, struggled with drug addiction in his early life.

What a gross and disgusting thing to joke about. pic.twitter.com/LDM7PT8GmM

— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) November 1, 2024

Smiley, responding to something host Abby Phillip had said about Vance “coming after the men,” said, “When you said he’s ‘coming after the men too,’ I think JD Vance has mommy issues, and it’s been fascinating for me to watch the way this has played out on the campaign trail.”

Phillip made no move to stop Smiley but simply raised an eyebrow at his comment.

MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ NOW STREAMING ON DAILYWIRE+

“And because of those issues, he has subjected women across the country to all his bad ideas and all his bad policy,” Smiley said, and he appeared to suggest then that Vance should have spent some time in therapy, and that would have helped him to not inflict his “issues” on others.

“Maya Angelou once told me that processing pain without perpetuating pain is rough business,” he continued. “So if you got mommy issues and you make everybody else in the country subject to that, that’s a real problem.”

“CNN guest Tavis Smiley just said that JD Vance has “mommy issues” — About a guy who wrote extensively about growing up with a mother who struggled with drug addiction and how they overcame it. Host @abbydphillip responds by laughing,” conservative communications strategist Greg Price posted in response.

CNN guest Tavis Smiley just said that JD Vance has "mommy issues" — About a guy who wrote extensively about growing up with a mother who struggled with drug addiction and how they overcame it.

Host @abbydphillip responds by laughingpic.twitter.com/tcpgi6Ieb1

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) November 1, 2024

“Vile CNN guest says J.D. Vance has mommy issues. J.D.’s mother struggled and overcame drug addiction. These people are sick. This is exactly why people HATE CNN,” investigative reporter Drew Hernandez said.

Vile CNN guest says J.D. Vance has mommy issues

J.D.’s mother struggled and overcame drug addiction

These people are sick

This is exactly why people HATE CNN

pic.twitter.com/EAVK9NGBr2

— Drew Hernandez (@DrewHLive) November 1, 2024

“Interesting to see what sorts of comments do, and do not, get you thrown off of this show,” GOP pundit Guy Benson added.

Interesting to see what sorts of comments do, and do not, get you thrown off of this show. https://t.co/tcrFL1sxlQ

— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) November 1, 2024

Just a week ago, during a heated discussion between conservative commentator Ryan Girdusky and terror apologist Mehdi Hasan, Hasan implied repeatedly that anyone who supported former President Donald Trump’s supporter was a Nazi. Girdusky referenced the recent Israeli attack using pagers to target Hezbollah terrorists and said he hoped Hasan’s pager didn’t “go off.”

Phillip immediately jumped in, telling Girdusky that he had gone too far and within hours, had offered a second apology both to Hasan and viewers via X. Girdusky has since been banned from the network. At no point did she address the fact that Hasan was accusing Girdusky — and other Trump supporters — of being a Nazi.