A fiery discussion between CNN anchor Anderson Cooper and Chris Sununu, the former Governor of New Hampshire, unfolded on Tuesday, February 11, 2025. This debate, centered around government efficiency, marked the second night in a row that a CNN host has had a heated exchange with a Republican guest.
The dispute was initiated during Cooper’s examination of an Oval Office event featuring Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his young son, X. Musk was present for a signing ceremony of an executive order aimed at government reform. The night prior, CNN host Abby Phillip had a similar confrontation with conservative commentator Scott Jennings.
Sununu lauded Musk for his forthrightness in identifying government waste, which escalated the debate. “I know what you’re not showing here, but Musk gave seven specific examples off the top of his head of where the corruption and fraud were,” Sununu stated. Cooper promptly counteracted this statement, replying, “But we didn’t see any of that. He doesn’t present any actual evidence.”
Sununu further fanned the flames of the debate by emphasizing the financial impact of the program. He claimed that within just 23 days, the department was saving $2.3 billion daily relative to the total savings of the previous year. CNN’s legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin questioned these figures, urging Sununu to substantiate these substantial claims.
In the Oval Office event, Musk raised concerns about government officials whose wealth greatly surpassed their government salaries. He specifically pointed out USAID employees, who had a net worth in the tens of millions despite having annual salaries in the hundreds of thousands. Musk sarcastically suggested they might be exceptional investors and wondered about the source of their additional wealth.
Musk acknowledged that the swift pace of his department could lead to errors but assured that any mistakes would be rectified promptly. He likened the intense scrutiny faced by his department to undergoing daily medical examinations, humorously suggesting they should arrange permanent lodging for the inspectors.
The executive order aims to “significantly” cut down the federal workforce by only hiring one employee for every four who leave, as reported by Semafor. The Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) initial actions have mainly targeted USAID, which has resulted in protests from Democratic lawmakers and federal employees.
The intense exchange between Cooper and Sununu culminated when they disputed over claims of $59 million being spent on migrant housing. Sununu shifted the discourse towards the misuse of FEMA funding for migrant support, questioning Cooper if he supported such expenses. Cooper firmly denied this, telling Sununu to cease misrepresenting his stance. The debate heightened when Cooper instructed Sununu not to be a “d***,” underscoring his issue with the mischaracterization of migrant accommodations as luxury facilities.
The incident concluded with Cooper issuing an apology for his choice of words. Sununu later downplayed the exchange, likening it to a political disagreement between friends over a beer.
