Donald Trump has been likened to many unflattering things during his four years as president, but an “obese turtle” is a new one. CNN anchor Anderson Cooper made the comment to describe the 74-year-old as a tortoise stuck upside down in the sun, dying and unable to right itself. It came as Trump tried to claim election fraud as opponent Joe Biden is one state’s electoral votes away from winning the presidency. AC’s comment came after CNN cut away from a live Trump news conference where he declared his victory from “legal votes” in the 2020 presidential race (which is false) and claimed there was “illegal voting” done to “steal” the election from him.
Put Anderson Cooper in the hall of fame for this one 🐢 pic.twitter.com/wfM1QSXEif
— Mike T (@rhymeswithbeg) November 6, 2020
“I don’t think we’ve ever seen anything like this from the president of the United States. It’s sad and it’s truly pathetic,” Anderson began. The 53-year-old then observed, “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 and realizing his time is over,” delivering the line of the night. AC added, “But he just hasn’t accepted it, and he wants to take everybody down with him, including this country,” before tossing things to a panel of guests.
Anderson Cooper ladies & gentlemen! The ending is poetry
https://t.co/fJ096H5AY6— Jaylon (@jbwing_5) November 6, 2020
Trump began his news conference by saying that “If you count the legal votes, I easily win. If you count the illegal votes, they can try to steal the election from us.” His lies were so rampant that MSNBC cut away after only 37 seconds in, with anchor Brian Williams explaining, “OK. Here we are again in the unusual position of not only interrupting the president of the United States, but correcting the president of the United States.” He then told viewers, “There are no illegal votes that we know of. There has been no Trump victory that we know of.”
WATCH: "OK. Here we are again in the unusual position of not only interrupting the president of the United States, but correcting the president of the United States," Brian Williams says on @MSNBC moments into the president's statement tonight. pic.twitter.com/2AliTQuSsr
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) November 6, 2020
Anderson’s name quickly became one of the top trending topics on Twitter after calling the president an “obese turtle.” Many people posted videos of turtles on the shell of their backs, with their legs moving helplessly up in the air as they were unable to right themselves. One user even said AC needs to be put “in the hall of fame for this one” as the remark was so brilliantly scathing and off the cuff.
https://twitter.com/emmadstrick/status/1324506390879227907
Anderson Cooper said it the best!! pic.twitter.com/mypHoq6p9b
— Toni (@Toni74312507) November 6, 2020
Former The Bachelor/Bachelorette producer Elan Gale joked, “Anderson Cooper MUST apologize to obese turtles” for comparing them to Trump, while user @Rschooley observed, “Okay. I think Anderson Cooper calling Trump an, ‘Obese turtle on his back’ is CNN calling the election.” CBS sports producer @CBengelCBS made a pro wrestling reference, noting, “This wasn’t even off the top rope. Anderson Cooper planted a chair in Trump’s skull and walked away.” Votes are still being counted in five states, and Biden only needs to win one to have enough electoral votes to secure the 2020 presidential election.