CNN anchor Abby Phillip torpedoed the MAGA complaint that coverage of President Donald Trump in his first 100 days was 92% “negative” demonstrates bias by floating a simpler possibility.

The conservative Media Research Center released an analysis last year claiming that the “Big Three” nightly newscasts were “relentlessly hostile” to Trump in his first 100 days — which was followed by a trend of deadly numbers for Trump since his second term began.

On Thursday’s edition of CNN NewsNight, Phillip hosted a panel that included Ashley Allison, Noah Rothman, Xochitl Hinojosa, Elizabeth Pipko, and Peter Meijer.

When Pipko cited the MRC study to explain away Trump’s bad polling, a smiling Phillip asked “Is it possible that that’s because of Donald Trump’s actual actions and conduct in office?”:

ELIZABETH PIPKO: The pope did say right there, blessed are the peacemakers, I’d like it known that Donald Trump is literally going into office trying to make peace. I mean, no one’s talking about the fact that Lebanon and Israel sat down for the first time in 34 years. He’s literally risking his own political capital knowing midterms are right around the corner trying to make peace, and that should be celebrated, number one.

ALLISON: He is doing that because his numbers are tanking, because he is in a war —

PIPKO: Because he’s in a with Iran, his numbers are tanking?

ALLISON: Well, I don’t think he thought that his numbers would tank when he went to war with Iran. But the reason why —

PIPKO: I think 100% that his numbers were tanking —

ALLISON: No, I think he miscalculated. I think he thought first that this might be like Venezuela, and it wasn’t. I think, second, he thought that Iran —

MEIJER: Venezuela didn’t help his numbers either, by the way, despite that —

(CROSSTALKS)

ALLISON: But he thought that it could just happen and like kind of be done.

We’re not talking about Venezuela tonight and we didn’t talk about it basically like a week after it happened. But now we’re in — how many weeks are we now in this war? I think he realizes, and I think the Iranians realize that he feels vulnerable right now because of this war and he is looking for a way to end it. Now, I do — I —

ABBY PHILLIP: Elizabeth, you can respond and then we are going to move.

PIPKO: Thank you. Look, I’m sorry. The press has been very negative towards Donald Trump for nearly 10 years, everybody knows that. Last year after 100 days in office, I think the Media Research Center said 92% of his first 100 days was negative, everybody knows that. And when it comes to the war, he’s going in knowing it’s hurting his chances of midterms because this is the right thing to do.

PHILLIP: Is it possible that that’s because of Donald Trump’s actual actions and conduct in office?

PIPKO: Which part?

PHILLIP: That the coverage has been negative and public opinion.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIP: It’s not possible at all that Americans are smart enough to make a determination about whether or not —

(CROSSTALK)

PIPKO: No, it’s because people didn’t want him to win.

Watch above via CNN NewsNight.

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