During CNN’s 2026 midterm coverage, host Kasie Hunt was quoted saying, “And it took us years to get there, too.” The line appears in a NewsBusters segment and a clip posted on X by Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) on November 4, 2026, both highlighted by the Gateway Pundit.
The moment in question
According to the NewsBusters transcript cited by the Gateway Pundit, Hunt said earlier in the segment: “we’re still being conservative with our decision desk, but all of the both Republicans and Democrats I’m talking to are looking across the map and they are saying the same thing: that this night is shaping up to be a blue tsunami.” She referenced races and states, saying “Talarico’s numbers are… he is outperforming,” that “the Gina Hinojosa campaign… think they’re outperforming,” and mentioned Ohio and Kansas.
Later in the same on-air exchange, after discussion from David Axelrod and Anderson Cooper about former President Donald Trump, Hunt added: “And it took us years to get there, too.”
How it’s being framed
The Gateway Pundit attributes political meaning to Hunt’s phrasing, singling out the word “us” as a giveaway. The post embeds Bonilla’s clip captioned, “CNN’s Kasie Hunt laments ‘it took us years to get’ to a blue wave midterm against Trump.”
Gateway Pundit author Mike LaChance concludes with his opinion: “These people are NOT journalists. They are Democrat Party activists play acting as reporters.”
What was said on-air
Per the transcript cited by the Gateway Pundit, Axelrod said, “this is a repudiation that is absolutely broad… the through line is Donald Trump… and Trump’s policies.” Cooper added, “He is on the ballot, whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat.” Axelrod continued, “He begged to be on the ballot and he is on the ballot. And the verdict is very, very negative.”
The open question
The clip and transcript, as presented by NewsBusters and Bonilla and amplified by the Gateway Pundit, center on whether Hunt’s “us” reflects partisan alignment. The Gateway Pundit argues that it does. The materials provided do not include Hunt’s explanation of the remark.
