CNN host rolls eyes after Republican claims scandals are from Trump-obsessed media

President Donald Trump spent the weekend inserting himself in everything from the World Cup to Taylor Swift's wedding, but one Republican commentator is blaming the media for being obsessed with the Republican leader.

In a panel discussion about Trump calling FIFA over the suspension of a U.S. player, CNN host Audie Cornish explained that the soccer pitch isn't supposed to be about politics.

"Like somehow I feel like that falls flat in this completely different other context," she said, speaking to columnist Aaron Blake.

Blake said that in the U.S. we're used to Trump operating like this, while the rest of the world isn't and views it as the scandal it would be if he hadn't become normalized.

"But I think when we look back at things like Trump talking about Greenland, talking about making Canada the 51st state, these were things that were offensive to the rest of the world," Blake explained. "They created, kind of, international incidents that I don't think we in America really appreciated as much as other countries were experiencing."

The World Cup is similar to those past events, in which Trump "is throwing his weight around and creating unfair advantages. And, you know, we're the victims of what this guy is doing," Blake added.

Republican strategist Doug Heye said that the World Cup incident is very different than the Trump family self-dealing and profit scandals.

"And part of it is there's an addiction to all things Donald Trump," Heye claimed. "And I'm not a big defender of Donald Trump on the global stage. But Keir Starmer made a phone call to try to delay or not delay a time for one of the matches," he said.

"Okay," Cornish cut in. "Bring a suspended player back to the field?"

Democratic commentator Karen Finney began laughing.

"The problem is the media has a pure dopamine Trump addiction. So if we can talk about Donald Trump and make things about him, he loves it," Heye said as Cornish was trying to cut in and Finney rolled her eyes.

"Let me let Karen jump in before—" Cornish began, but Heye kept talking.

"The Knicks game — there was more coverage about Donald Trump going to the Knicks game than the actual Knicks game," Heye claimed as Finney disagreed. "The New York Times this weekend — the lead opinion piece in the New York Times on July 4th was somebody saying 'I can't celebrate July 4th' because of why? Donald Trump."

As Cornish began to interrupt again, Heye went on to say that even coverage of Taylor Swift's wedding was about Donald Trump.

"Under your face, I'm gonna put, 'Local man ignores sports fans' and let your mentions go to fire," Cornish quipped.

"What did the New York Times write about the Taylor Swift wedding, well gosh, it's gotta be about Donald. It really has to be about Donald," Heye said.

"Knicks fans were upset. That was a real thing," Cornish cut in, referring to the boos that Trump got when he attended the game.

"Are we still talking about it? No!" Heye insisted.

"Ehh....?" Cornish disagreed. "I feel like you haven't been to New York in a minute. Which is fine, but what I'm saying is this is a collision of sports fandom and regular news. There's a reason why it's called the World Cup. So, I don't really want to do one of those games of it's the media's problem, when this was an international response by sports fans. And I think it's okay for them to respond. They don't have to be wrapped up in our bipartisan nonsense. And I do think he inserted himself."

"Of course he did! And he knew we'd talk about it ad nauseam as you always do because you're addicted to him!" Heye insisted.

"I'm not addicted to him, my God," Cornish said.

"Oh my God," Finney commented at the same time.

"The World Cup is not a little league game, Doug," Cornish said. "People were upset about this."

"Somehow, the New York Times made Taylor Swift's wedding about Donald Trump," Heye insisted.

Trump inserted himself into the Swift wedding by posting memes on the wedding day featuring his own "Eras Tour" poster. When they were officially married, digital signs across Manhattan blinked that the couple was officially married. Trump's team then digitally edited their own version of the signs to brag about Trump instead. Trump was still talking about Swift on Monday, bragging that he was bigger than her on American TikTok.

Heye said that Trump "depends on you to do" that.