CNN senior correspondent Brian Stelter got into a heated exchange about the symbiotic relationship between the president and the media with veteran journalist Ted Koppel during a Monday night panel.
Video: To consternation of @BrianStelter, Ted Koppel contended during 10/1 Kalb Report @PressClubDC: “You would be lost without @realDonaldTrump. CNN’s ratings would be in the toilet without Trump.” Stelter: “Ted, you know that’s not true. You’re playing for laughs.” #NPCLive pic.twitter.com/XGZl9yNzqh
— Brent Baker (@BrentHBaker) October 3, 2018
The panel took place at the National Press Club and the event was titled, “Truth Be Told: Journalism in the Age of Trump”
“The ratings are up. That means you can’t do without Donald Trump,” Koppel said. “You would be lost without Donald Trump.”
“Ted, you know that’s not true,” Stelter fired back.
Koppel retaliated, “CNN’s ratings would be in the toilet without Donald Trump.”
“You know that’s not true. You’re playing for laughs,” Stelter added. “You’ve lived through enough presidencies to know. There will be more presidents.”
Koppel then asked Stelter how much higher CNN’s ratings are since Trump took office.
“If we go back down 40 percent, that’s okay too,” Stelter continued. “I reject the premise that these networks are making so much money off of Trump, and thus we benefit from it.”
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