Democratic National Convention features CNN, MSNBC figures in plum speaking roles
MSNBC and CNN figures featured prominently at this week's Democratic National Convention, including one "Republican" commentator who served as a host of one of the evenings.
CNN's Ana Navarro, who also serves as a co-host of "The View" and has openly supported Democrats for years, served as the convention host on Tuesday night, when Barack and Michelle Obama spoke.
"Wow, what energy. What a moment," she said, going on to call Vice President Kamala Harris a "joyful, optimistic leader."
While Navarro insists she's still a Republican, she's often criticized by conservatives given her staunchly left-wing opinions and obsequious tone toward Democrats. She once called Harris "Auntie Kamala" and led a "Four more years" chant for Joe Biden on "The View" in March before Democrats forced him off the ticket four months later. She also worked for Biden's campaign in Florida in 2020, one of only six states where Donald Trump performed better percentage-wise that year than he did in 2016.
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Navarro wasn't alone on CNN in getting a prominent role at the convention, as two other "Never Trump" Republicans also got plum speaking roles as a way of reaching out to other disaffected voters in the middle and center-right.
Geoff Duncan, the former GOP lieutenant governor of Georgia and a CNN contributor, spoke on Wednesday night, urging Republicans to "dump Trump" and saying his party had become a cult in service of a "felonious thug." Duncan has spoken out against Trump since the former president's efforts to overturn the 2020 election result in Georgia.
CNN commentator and former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., addressed the convention on Thursday night. Kinzinger has been an outspoken foe of Trump for years and served on the January 6 House Select Committee. He was also one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump over charges he incited an insurrection.
"I’ve learned something about the Democratic Party, and I want to let my fellow Republicans in on the secret: The Democrats are as patriotic as us," Kinzinger said. "They love this country just as much as we do. And they are as eager to defend American values at home and abroad as we conservatives have ever been."
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MSNBC's Al Sharpton, who hosts "PoliticsNation" on weekends and frequently appears on other shows on the progressive network, also spoke on Thursday, introducing the "Central Park Five" and lambasting Trump's record on race.
The liberal networks provided glowing coverage all week during the DNC also, particularly on MSNBC where host Rachel Maddow even admitted at one point that the hosts in her room were "stamping and clapping" to vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz's speech.
They weren't the only media figures to be featured at the DNC, either. Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of President John F. Kennedy, briefly addressed the convention on Tuesday. In addition to being a scion of the Kennedy dynasty, he serves as a "political correspondent" for Vogue.