Following President Donald Trump‘s baseless statement on the U.S. elections Thursday, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper‘s response to it sparked surprise from viewers at home, as he compared Trump to an “obese turtle.” In his White House briefing room statement, Trump complained that some states he appeared to be winning on Election Night Tuesday have either flipped to Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden or his leads have been cut significantly. Trump offered no evidence as he claimed there is a plan to “steal” and “rig” the election. Trump left the room without answering any questions from reporters.
“That is the president of the United States. That is the most powerful person in the world, and we see him like an obese turtle on his back flailing in the hot sun, realizing his time is over,” Cooper said after Trump finished his statement. “He just hasn’t accepted it and he wants to take everybody down with him, including this country.”
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Trump’s Thursday message was his first since he falsely declared “victory” in the early morning hours of Wednesday, even though no news outlets have called the election for either the president or Biden. Trump said he would “easily win” the election Thursday if you “count the legal votes,” as opposed to “illegal votes” which could be used to “steal the election from us.” He claimed there were “a lot of votes” that “came in late” without offering evidence.
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Hey everyone sharing that Anderson Cooper quote pic.twitter.com/y6GC2iOG7a
โ Erin Biba (@erinbiba) November 6, 2020
Cooper’s comments on the president’s speech sparked a discussion on social media, with some praising him and call him “pretty entertaining.” Others accused him of making fun of Trump’s weight. “I am once again asking for you to stop laughing at ableist fat shaming,” one journalist shared on Twitter.
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Anderson Cooper just called Trump โan obese turtle on his back, flailing in the hot sunโ so if you need me Iโll be logged off forever
โ Meredith Clark (@MeredithLClark) November 6, 2020
One person joked that Cooper went “full Werner Herzog,” referring to the famed German filmmaker. “Sleep-deprived Anderson Cooper is pretty entertaining, tbh,” another Twitter user wrote.ย
Anderson Cooper from the top rope pic.twitter.com/X4duZY6BF0
โ CJ Fogler #BlackLivesMatter (@cjzero) November 6, 2020
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thank you anderson cooper for this amazing image in my head ๐ญ๐ #TrumpMeltdown #TrumpIsLosing pic.twitter.com/fZeB0HD7Sk
โ Emma Strickland (@emmadstrick) November 6, 2020
Another Twitter user thanked Cooper for putting this “amazing image in my head.” Another suggested Cooper should be put in the “hall of fame for this one.”
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Anderson Cooper MUST apologize to obese turtles https://t.co/z4Q0Mx5d4x
โ elan gale (@theyearofelan) November 6, 2020
Another Twitter user suggested Cooper should “win the Nobel Prize for literature” just because of the comment.ย “Anderson Cooper with the best definition of this sh*t show that [Trump] is making of the election,” another wrote.
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This wasn’t even off the top rope. Anderson Cooper planted a chair in Trump’s skull and walked away. https://t.co/FJoO3xMq1v
โ Chris (@CBengelCBS) November 6, 2020
“That’s pretty good off the cuff,” one person wrote of Cooper. Another Cooper fan said it was “maybe the greatest Anderson Cooper line of all time. Thank you.”
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a family member just said Anderson Cooper should be fired for this comment and I’m over here cackling at “obese turtle” https://t.co/IayUASIuJM
โ Kaleigh (@kaleighrangel) November 6, 2020
“This is the only time I’ll say don’t save the turtles,” one Twitter user wrote. Another asked if it was “too late to vote for Anderson Cooper for president???”