'This Is Garbage': Meghan McCain Slams CNN For Jeffrey Toobin's Return Following Masturbation Scandal
Speaking her mind! The View cohost Meghan McCain has slammed CNN for allowing Jeffrey Toobin to return after he accidentally exposed himself to his former colleagues during a Zoom call.
"This is garbage," the 36-year-old tweeted. "Why does the media protect these old white male dinosaurs in this industry?"
"No woman on PLANET EARTH would be welcomed back on network tv after being caught masturbating in front of her colleagues. What does working at a food bank have to do with this?" she added.
The 61-year-old made his big return to television on Thursday, June 10, for an interview with Newsroom anchor Alisyn Camerota, who quickly addressed the elephant in the room.
"In October, you were on a Zoom call with your colleagues from The New Yorker magazine," Camerota said. "Everyone took a break for several minutes during [at] which time you were caught masturbating on camera. You were subsequently fired from that job after 27 years of working there and you since then have been on leave from CNN. Do I have all that right?"
"You got it all right. Sad to say," Toobin admitted. "To quote Jay Leno, what the hell were you thinking?" Camerota asked.
"Well, obviously I wasn’t thinking very well or very much and it was something that was inexplicable to me," Toobin admitted. "I think one point — I wouldn’t exactly say, 'in my defense,' because nothing is really in my defense — I didn’t think I was on the call. I didn’t think other people could see me."
"I thought that I had turned off the Zoom call. Now, that’s not a defense. This was deeply moronic and indefensible. But that is part of the story and I have spent this seven subsequent months — miserable months in my life, I can certainly confess — trying to be a better person. I’m in therapy, trying to do some public service, working in a food bank… working on a new book about the Oklahoma City Bombing. But I’m trying to become the kind of person that people can trust again," he continued.
Toobin said that he apologized to his colleagues who were "shocked and appalled" but said they realized his actions were "not intended for them." "I’m a flawed human being who makes mistakes," he said. "It was wrong and it was stupid and I’m trying to be a better person."
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McCain was not the only one who wasn't happy to see Toobin on television again. Scroll down to see the reactions.
Awkward
Many viewers found the whole interview "awkward."
Cringey
"That @CNN interview with Jeffrey Toobin was cringey, awkward and I don’t understand how there was no one else left in the US who could’ve filled that contributor spot," another user noted.
New Identity?
"If I had been caught on a Zoom call playing with the ol' cheese stick I would literally change my name, move to Lichtenstein, and never again acknowledge that I was ever employed by anyone at any time, and yet here’s Jeffrey Toobin on TV just talking about it," another user remarked.
Support
Toobin still had people in his corner ready to forgive and forget. "I am so happy to see Jeffrey Toobin back on the air at CNN. His apologies appear sincere. Everyone makes mistakes and I’m ready to move on," one user noted.
