CNN Political Analyst Faces Backlash Over 'So-Called Angel Moms' Comment
Seung Min Kim, a 40-year-old political analyst for CNN, has been accused of disrespecting mothers whose children were murdered by illegal immigrants. The controversy erupted during Monday's edition of CNN This Morning, when Kim referred to relatives attending the Angel Families Remembrance Ceremony as 'so-called Angel Moms'.
The Controversial Exchange
The remark came during a panel discussion about what to expect from President Trump's upcoming State of the Union address. Host Audie Cornish had asked panelists about potential themes in Trump's speech when Kim offered her analysis.
'I think we're actually getting a little preview of kind of the theme of his address later today at The White House,' Kim quipped, referencing the Angel Families event happening that morning.
She continued: 'The number-one concern for voters continues to be affordability.' Regarding immigration specifically, Kim conceded: 'I mean, this is a base issue... this is something that his core voters really care about.'
However, she added a qualification: 'But if he wants to appeal to the broader public - the population of the vote or the segment of the voters that he actually brought in in the election because they were concerned about the economy - that's the target audience they want to hit.'
White House Event and CNN's Coverage Decision
President Trump welcomed families who had lost loved ones to crimes committed by illegal immigrants in the East Room for the ceremony. He opened by honoring '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.'
Several family members shared emotional anecdotes about their lost relatives during the event, which concluded with Trump signing a proclamation declaring February 22 as 'National Angel Family Day.'
CNN notably did not provide any live coverage of the 11am ET ceremony, a decision that drew immediate criticism from the White House.
White House Response
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, 28, took to social media platform X to express her outrage. '@CNN is a total disgrace,' she wrote. '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.'
Leavitt continued: '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.'
White House Deputy Communications Director Kaelan Dorr also weighed in, describing the event as 'a truly tear jerking event' and calling CNN's lack of coverage 'Sick' and 'Disgusting.' He added pointedly: 'Mask is off.'
CNN's Broader Challenges
The controversy comes as CNN faces significant challenges. Multiple industry sources told the Daily Mail earlier this month that the network is in a worrisome position due to poor ratings and lackluster leadership.
The cable news station's viewership has declined dramatically from roughly 1.3 million in 2016 to just over half a million currently. A CNN source attributed the poor showing to audiences consuming news through alternative means.
The network carried out a round of layoffs to start 2025 as part of its long-promised move to digital. This restructuring followed a failed leadership stint from former Colbert showrunner Chris Licht, which lasted barely a year.
Licht replaced longtime lead Jeff Zucker, who masterminded the network's shift to more opinionated content in the 2010s, coinciding with Donald Trump's first presidency. While Trump's rise initially boosted interest in cable news channels including CNN, the network has reportedly struggled to capitalize on his second term.
This follows a reported 'tone-down' in anti-Trump commentary called by current leadership under Mark Thompson. Despite these challenges, CNN's website still attracts approximately 120 million monthly users as it gradually implements more vertical videos and streaming content.
About Seung Min Kim
Seung Min Kim has served as a political analyst for CNN since 2018. In addition to her role at CNN, she works as a White House reporter for the Associated Press, giving her dual perspectives on political coverage from both a network analyst position and traditional reporting role.
During the panel discussion that sparked the controversy, Kim suggested the Angel Families event provided insight into Trump's State of the Union priorities, noting that both the ceremony and the anticipated address would likely frame illegal immigration as a primary national problem.
