CNN anchor Kasie Hunt pushed a narrative about President Donald Trump’s health during an on-air interview with Time reporter Eric Cortellessa, only to have Cortellessa contradict her on the spot.
Hunt was interviewing Cortellessa about his reporting on Trump when she claimed the president seemed to be struggling to hear Cortellessa’s questions and asserted that “a lot of Democrats” have been raising allegations about his health and fitness for office.
Cortellessa did not go along with the framing. Instead, he described the opposite of what Hunt suggested.
“I do think he maintains a very high level of stamina. I mean, he’s traveling all across the country. He doesn’t sleep a lot. He works from, you know, the wee hours of the morning to late at night. His stamina seems to be just as high as it’s been.”
The exchange undercut the premise Hunt had tried to establish before the interview even got underway.
Trump has kept an active travel and campaign schedule ahead of the midterms, making appearances on behalf of candidates while also carrying out his presidential duties. He regularly takes questions from reporters and remains visible in public settings, a contrast frequently drawn with how former President Joe Biden’s team managed his schedule and public appearances while in office.
Democrats have continued to raise questions about Trump’s health and fitness despite his pace of activity. The CNN interview is one instance of that narrative being put forward on air, only for a reporter directly covering the president to push back against it with his own observations.
