CNN anchor Anderson Cooper apologized to former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu for telling him “don’t be a d--k” during a discussion Tuesday about the activities of Elon Musk’s government efficiency agency.
On AC360, Cooper asked Sununu about Musk’s appearance in the Oval Office earlier in the day alongside Donald Trump, in which he attempted to justify the Department of Government Efficiency’s cuts.
“It was surreal,” Sununu said of the press conference. “But I’ve got to tell you, I know what you’re not showing here. Musk gave seven specific examples off the top of his head of where the corruption and fraud were.”
“He was talking about a contractor that had a three-month contract. He was paid for 20 years. He was talking about welfare benefits that were being paid to someone that was technically 150 years old,” Sununu continued.
Cooper replied that Musk, who also acknowledged to reporters Tuesday that he has been wrong before, “doesn’t present any actual evidence.”
Sununu responded, “He’s standing there in the Oval Office. Do you expect him to come in with 10,000 pages?”
Musk and company “are being extremely transparent,” he claimed.
“They don’t have to sit there and take the questions, but they do. It’s all on the website. It’s all out there,” he claimed.
Moments later, panelist Jeffrey Toobin joined in. What Musk and others are saying is merely that: “What they’re saying.“
“But where’s the proof?” he asked.
Soon after, Cooper noted that some of what Musk has alleged is misleading, like the amount FEMA spent in disaster relief funds for migrant services in New York City.
“But some of the details that have come out, like the $59 million spent on luxury hotels. It’s actually not—” Cooper said before Sununu interjected.
“You’re talking about the FEMA money that was abused for migrants. That was FEMA money for migrants. That’s OK now?” he asked.
“No, I’m not saying it’s OK,” Cooper replied. “Don’t put words in my mouth.”
Sununu then asked Cooper, “Would you stop that? Would you stop that process?”
The CNN anchor had had enough.
“Don’t be a d--k,” he told Sununu. “What I’m saying is, the portrayal by [Musk] is just not factually accurate.”
When the segment ended about five minutes later, Cooper apologized, acknowledging that he had been “rude.”
Sununu took it in stride.
“Are you kidding? I grew up with seven brothers and sisters,” he said. “I’m a former governor. You want to know what I’m normally called? That’s one of the nicest things I’ve been called all week.”
