Anderson Cooper watched in silence on Wednesday night as his CNN show AC 360 descended into chaos during a segment on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
The panelists for the segment, which went largely unmoderated by Cooper, included New Yorker writer Jeffrey Toobin, Kristen Powers of USA Today and Michael Caputo, a former aide to President Trump.
Caputo was selected for the panel due to his support for Kavanaugh, but lost it on-air after Powers called him out for a number of disparaging statements he made about the women who have accused the circuit judge of sexual misconduct.
Powers eventually gave up trying to speak after repeated interruptions, and the segment ended with Caputo shouting: ‘From now on every mother of sons, every grandmother of grandsons has to fear for the future of their boys because of people like you, who sit here and take uncorroborated testimony, uncorroborated allegations, against a decent man and ruin him because it gets you ratings.’
To that claim Powers responded: ‘That’s bonkers, like literally insane.’
Toobin, who was uncharacteristically quiet and preternaturally calm throughout the entire segment, then added: ‘I hope young men who sexually assault young women get their lives ruined. I’m not worried about that.’
Faces/places: Michael Caputo went off on his fellow panelists Wednesday night on AC 360 over comments he made about the Brett Kavanaugh’s female accusers (l to r: Anderson Cooper, Jeffrey Toobin, Kristen Powers and Caputo)
The panelists all appeared on the final segment of AC 360 on Wednesday, and the discussion began with Caputo getting a chance to defend the embattled nominee.
And while he firmly stated that Kavanaugh was innocent off all accusations being made against him by these women, he did not entirely discredit the claims of the first woman to come forward, Dr. Christina Blasey Ford.
Julie Swetnick who apparently as a sophomore in college was hanging out with sophomore in high school boys who were drugging people and standing in line outside of bedrooms at ten different parties. For some reason Ms. Swetnick can’t really remember whether she was gang-raped at the first one or the tenth one and my question to her is why the heck would you go back to parties where young girls were in a bedroom getting gang raped by teenagers when you’re an adult?
‘I understand something probably happened to Dr. Ford,’ stated Caputo.
‘I just don’t think Brett Kavanaugh was involved.’
It was Caputo’s comments about Julie Swetnick, who alleged that she was gang raped at a high school party that was also attended by Kavanaugh back in 1982, that managed to draw a range of emotions from Powers and Toobin ranging from rage and ire to shock and disbelief.
Cooper meanwhile kept his eyes squinted and face frozen throughout the segment.
‘I was interested in … Julie Swetnick who apparently as a sophomore in college was hanging out with sophomore in high school boys who were drugging people and standing in line outside of bedrooms at ten different parties,’ began Caputo in an increasingly sarcastic tone.
‘For some reason Ms. Swetnick can’t really remember whether she was gang-raped at the first one or the tenth one and my question to her is why the heck would you go back to parties where young girls were in a bedroom getting gang raped by teenagers when you’re an adult?’
Toobin shot back at Caputo in a similarly sarcastic tone, saying: ‘Yeah, and why do these women wear these short skirts? Aren’t they just asking for it? Come on, Michael.’
I don’t – I just don’t understand the thinking behind it, except for the fact that for a long time, certainly in the period that these accusations are about, you know, in the 1980s, I went to high school then. This was a time when women just simply were not believed and everybody sounded like Donald Trump and Michael Caputo
Caputo refused to back down however, and retorted: ‘Yeah, ten rape parties Jeffrey? Ten rape parties?’
The lone woman on the panel kept quiet, but when it was her time to speak Powers went about eviscerating Caputo and his comments.
In attacking Caputo’s remarks, Powers chose not to get into the claims made by any of the women accusing Kavanaugh, and instead to speak from her own experience.
She waited until Cooper gave her the floor, and began by saying: ‘I don’t even know. I mean, it’s just this tactic of attacking, you know, a very young woman.’
She then continued: ‘I don’t – I just don’t understand the thinking behind it, except for the fact that for a long time, certainly in the period that these accusations are about, you know, in the 1980s, I went to high school then. This was a time when women just simply were not believed and everybody sounded like Donald Trump and Michael Caputo.’
Caputo could be seen growing increasingly frustrated, and then lost it as Powers said: ‘So if you’re going to ask why women didn’t come forward, Michael, that’s your answer. Just listen to yourself. This is how women got treated.’
Defend to the end: ‘From now on every mother of sons, every grandmother of grandsons has to fear for the future of their boys because of people like you,’ declared Caputo (Kavanaugh above)
Laying it on: He took aim at Julie Swetnick (left) in particular, who he discredited by scoffing at the notion an adult would hang out with children at ’10 rape parties’ (Christine Blasey Ford on right)
Powers was then forced to stop speaking as Caputo repeatedly interrupted her, despite the fact that she had just been given the floor.
‘As the father of daughters,’ shouted Caputo, as Powers calmly asked him to let her finish.
From now on every mother of sons, every grandmother of grandsons has to fear for the future of their boys because of people like you, who sit here and take uncorroborated testimony, uncorroborated allegations, against a decent man and ruin him because it gets you ratings.
‘I listened to your ranting and raving for two segments. You can listen to me,’ said Powers at one point.
‘You don’t call me out like that on national television,’ screamed Caputo
Powers responded: ‘I know what was like to be a woman during that time period and you don’t.’
Caputo was not having it however,exclaiming: ‘Would you give me a chance?’
Powers then incensed Caputo even further as she stated: ‘People like Michael … they said that black people were making it up until there were videos of it. And then you can’t deny anymore that it was made up. Unfortunately, there were no cellphones in the 1980s.’
Caputo told Powers her remarks were ‘inappropriate,’ before delivering his final outburst.
Cooper had given up even attempting to moderate by this point.
After the show, both sides claimed victory by retweeting a number of supporters.