An on-air political analyst for CNN has been accused of looking down her nose at the mothers of Americans murdered by illegal immigrants.
Seung Min Kim, 40, referred to relatives who attended the Angel Families Remembrance Ceremony as 'so-called Angel Moms', when called upon on Monday's CNN This Morning.
The hint of skepticism came after host Audie Cornish had asked panelists what to expect from Trump in his State of the Union speech, which was held Tuesday.
Kim quipped that she thought 'we're actually getting a little preview of kind of the theme of his address later today at The White House.'
She went on to emphasize that 'the number-one concern for voters continues to be affordability.'
Kim conceded of immigration: 'I mean, this is a base issue... this is something that his core voters really care about.
'But if he wants to appeal to the broader public - the population of the vote or the the segment of the voters that he actually brought in in the election because they were concerned about the economy - that's the that's the target audience they want to hit,' she said.
Seung Min Kim, 40, referred to relatives who attended the Angel Families Remembrance Ceremony by 'Angel Moms' when called upon on Monday's CNN This Morning, but first prefaced with the phrase 'so-called'
Trump welcomed families who have lost loved ones to crimes committed by illegal immigrants in the East Room for the ceremony, which CNN did not cover
'I'm sure we'll hear about it at the state of the union tomorrow night, but how much of a focus is it?' Kim continued.
'I think that's still to be determined.'
After the exchange, the 11am ET event was held without a hitch.
CNN, however, did not offer any live TV coverage, but did cover the event on their digital platforms.
The decision was still criticized by the White House, though - specifically by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and White House Deputy Communications Director Kaelan Dorr.
Leavitt, 28, wrote on X Monday: '@CNN is a total disgrace President Trump hosted a powerful event honoring Angel Families who lost loved ones at the hands of illegal alien criminals and deadly drugs – but CNN refused to cover EVEN one second of it.
'That’s because CNN doesn't care about the victims of illegal alien crime. They pretend to be a news organization, but they refuse to cover anything that doesn't fit the Left’s narrative. This is why CNN is failing and losing all of their viewership.'
Dorr wrote: 'President Trump is currently hosting a truly tear jerking event, signing a proclamation honoring Angel Families.' He said that CNN's lack of coverage was 'Sick' and 'Disgusting,' and added: 'Mask is off.'
The White House publicly criticized CNN for the editorial decision, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and White House Deputy Communications Director Kaelan Dorr both speaking out
A CNN spokesperson told the Mail in a statement: 'At the time of the White House event, CNN was covering the breaking news around the historic blizzard impacting millions of Americans.'
Trump, meanwhile, welcomed families who have lost loved ones to crimes committed by illegal immigrants in the East Room for the ceremony.
He opened by recognizing that fact, honoring the 'heartbroken Americans who have lost parents, siblings, children, grandchildren, and treasured loved ones to the scourge of illegal immigration, let in by the past administration,' he said.
Several family members went on offer anecdotes about their lost ones.
Trump signed a guidance that proclaimed February 22 as 'National Angel Family Day' at its conclusion.
Multiple industry sources told the Daily Mail earlier this month that CNN is in a worrisome spot, due to poor ratings and lackluster leadership.
The cable news station has gone from roughly 1.3 million in 2016 to a little over a half million.
A CNN source blamed the poor showing on audiences consuming news through alternative means.
The network carried out a round of layoffs to start 2025 and herald in its long-promised move to digital.
Kim - a political analyst with CNN since 2018 - told panelists 'we're actually getting a little preview of kind of the theme of his' State of the Union Address through the White House ceremony. Both painted illegal immigration as a primary problem
The long-in-the-works restructuring plan followed a failed leadership stint from former Colbert showrunner Chris Licht, which lasted barely a year.
Licht replaced longtime lead Jeff Zucker. The latter masterminded the network's shift to more opinionated content in the 2010s, right around the time of Donald Trump's first presidency.
Trump's rise ramped up interest in previously languishing cable channels, CNN included.
The network has so far failed to capitalize on the conservative's second term, though, after a reported 'tone-down' in anti-Trump commentary called by Mark Thompson.
The network's website still attracts 120 million monthly users, as it slowly implements more vertical videos and streaming.
Kim, meanwhile, has served as a political analyst for the network since 2018. She is also a White House reporter for the Associated Press.
