CNN Video Misrepresents Interaction with Maxine Waters During Interview

During a recent appearance on CNN NewsNight, U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters was interviewed by anchor Abby Phillip to discuss President Joe Biden‘s campaign strategies against former President Donald Trump. Waters’ response to Phillip’s question about the tactics needed to defeat Trump, sparked a recent controversy.

An Instagram video surfaced, misrepresenting the interaction by merging footage from Waters’ interview with a separate CNN segment featuring Don Lemon. The concocted video shows Lemon seemingly laughing at Waters adjusting her wig, with a voiceover insinuating comments about her appearance.

Contrary to the video’s claims, the voice heard in the clip was not a CNN producer but rather a commentary added by the account that posted it. The clip of Don Lemon was lifted from a segment of ‘Don Lemon Tonight’ where he chuckled at a remark made by Symone Sanders-Townsend about Omarosa Manigault Newman, another former Trump administration official.

Sanders-Townsend’s ironic comment about discussing Omarosa during Black History Month visibly tickled Lemon, causing him to temporarily lose his composure during the segment. Newman, a participant on ‘The Apprentice’ and former Trump administration staffer, notably parted ways in 2017 amidst controversy.

Therefore, the claim that a CNN producer was caught on a hot mic discussing Waters’ recent interview is demonstrably false, with the Instagram video being a distorted depiction aiming to stir controversy and misinformation within the public sphere.