CNN Blows Off Contributor Ana Navarro’s DNC Speech, Airs Gavin Newsom Interview Instead

CNN is among the major television networks covering the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week, and CNN contributor Ana Navarro was one of the speakers Tuesday evening.

The cable news network aired exactly zero seconds of her speech.

Navarro, also a co-host on The View, is a Republican who has been a very vocal critic of former President Donald Trump. She has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris and was selected to serve as an official host for the DNC along with actors Tony Goldwyn, Kerry Washington, and Mindy Kaling.

On Sunday, Navarro posted a short video on her social media accounts saying that she was “so happy” she could finally share the news that she would be hosting night 2 of the convention, adding that it meant a lot to her as “a little refuge girl who fled communism” at the age of eight. “It’s just such a mind-blowing moment,” she said, and she hoped that her followers would “tune in” and “join in the excitement.”

Tuesday’s program was chugging along with the state-by-state ceremonial roll call vote – livened up by a DJ and some surprise guests — officially nominated Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to be the party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates, and then CNN’s feed switched to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where Harris and Walz were holding a rally in the same arena where Trump and the Republicans gathered for the Republican National Convention last month.

The CNN video showed Harris thanking the Milwaukee crowd and telling everyone in Chicago “I’ll see you in two days!” for her keynote speech, and then switched back to the DNC main stage.

“Please welcome TV personality, loud and proud Latina, Ana Navarro!” said the announcer to the DNC audience as Navarro was shown for the briefest of moments smiling and waving as she walked across the stage to begin her speech.

“All right,” said anchor Jake Tapper. “It’s an exciting time here for the delegates in the United Center. Kaitlan Collins is on the floor. Kaitlan?”

Collins conducted an interview with California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who had the honor of putting Harris over the top in the vote count with California’s delegates (keeping with tradition, Minnesota went next-to-last as Walz’s state and Harris’ home state was last).

The Newsom interview wrapped and then CNN went back to Tapper, Dana Bash, and Abby Phillip for a panel discussion. Several times during their conversation, Navarro’s speech could be heard in the background or she could be seen out-of-focus in the distance behind them.

Navarro’s speech concluded and the panel discussion wrapped as well, as Tapper said, “Let’s listen in as Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer, Democrat from New York, speaking now.”

The camera showed Schumer dancing along as he made his way to center stage, and then aired his speech.

Mediaite reached out to CNN for comment and received the following statement from a CNN spokesperson:

CNN’s diverse roster of contributors provide their opinions, expert analysis and unique perspectives to the network’s on-air coverage of a wide variety of topics. CNN’s Political Commentators are not full-time employees or journalists for the network and therefore may participate in political activities including fundraising, public speaking, and advocacy work.

Mediaite also reached out to Navarro for comment and did not receive a response.

The progressive media company Meidas Touch posted a clip from Navarro’s speech where she responded to Trump’s claims that Harris is a communist. Navarro brought up her own childhood fleeing the communist dictators in Nicaragua and argued that their behavior sounded more like Trump.

Watch the clip above via CNN.