Kate Bolduan Suggests Doublethink on NWS Cuts Impacting Texas Floods #Political
While interviewing Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell of California Tuesday morning, CNN News Central co-host Kate Bolduan gave a suggestion straight out of 1984 in order to justify biased reporting. The dystopian world she lived in? One where the White House disagreed with the media’s accusations that cuts to the National Weather Service were directly responsible for the death toll in the recent Texas floods.
Even though evidence for any negative impact from Trump’s cuts was lacking, Bolduan seemed set on telling such a narrative:
There are big questions being raised about the warnings that happened and the impacts also of cuts to – that the Trump administration had made to the National Weather Service. And while everyone you speak to says a review needs to be done, analysis needs to be done, there's no direct throughline. I did have a former administrator of NOAA just on this morning who said that he thinks the administration's workforce cuts at the National Weather Service contributed to the problem.
(...)
You have Chuck Schumer now who's sent a letter asking for the Commerce Department to investigate whether staffing shortages contributed to the tragedy. Here, the White House is pushing back very hard and suggesting that this is all motivated by politics.
Bolduan didn’t ever ask Swalwell whether or not he thought this was true. She took it as a given. Her question instead was how Democrats should frame their messaging around the issue so as to not become overly political.
When Swalwell answered, he talked about sympathizing with the families before taking Bolduan’s bait and firing an obvious shot at Trump by proclaiming: “for the last six months, we've seen an effort to undermine the hard work of government workers, whether it's air traffic controllers who keep planes from colliding in the air, or FEMA first responders who go into the hardest hit places in America.”
Bolduan doubled down on her original question:
I think the question is then how do you, – I don't know if it's if it's threading the needle, I don't know if it's saying we can have two thoughts in our head at the same time, but how do you not let this become political but still push for answers?
Bolduan suggested doublethink, holding one thought in mind while actively professing another, as a possibility for any Democrats hoping to blame Trump in a more sensitive fashion, the same approach encouraged by the government of George Orwell’s classic novel.
Even while suggesting it, Bolduan practiced doublethink, arguing her purely political argument was not political in the slightest. Bolduan wanted to frame the Texas floods as a failing of the Trump administration, all the while practicing doublethink and claiming her argument was not a matter of politics.
The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:
July 8, 2025
9:33 a.m. EST(…)
KATE BOLDUAN: A very different thing, but very important story we’re covering and we'll continue to is these deadly floods in Texas as these – the search continues for the missing. There are big questions being raised about the warnings that happened and the impacts also of cuts to – that the Trump administration had made to the National Weather Service.
And while everyone you speak to says a review needs to be done, analysis needs to be done, there's no direct throughline. I did have a former administrator of NOAA just on this morning who said that he thinks the administration's workforce cuts at the National Weather Service contributed to the problem. Let me play this for you:
(Cuts to video)
RICHARD SPINRAD: I am convinced that the staff cuts that we saw were a contributing factor to the inability of the emergency managers to respond. The staffing was just fine and the White House has concurred with this to get the forecast out, to get the watches and warnings issued.
But when you send a message, there's no guarantee it's being received. So someone needs to follow up. And that's the warning coordination meteorologist, a position that was vacant.
(Cuts to live)
BOLDUAN: You have Chuck Schumer now who's sent a letter asking for the Commerce Department to investigate whether staffing shortages contributed to the tragedy. Here, the White House is pushing back very hard and suggesting that this is all motivated by politics. Let me play Karoline Leavitt from yesterday.
(Cut to video)
KAROLINE LEAVITT: Unfortunately, in the wake of this, once in a generation natural disaster, we have seen many falsehoods pushed by Democrats such as Senator Chuck Schumer and some members of the media. Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie, and it serves no purpose during this time of national mourning.
(Cuts to live)
BOLDUAN: Do you think Democrats need to be careful on this?
REP. ERIC SWALWELL (D-CA): Well, first, I mean, as a parent, this is just heartbreaking. I have two kids at camp this week. They're not old enough for sleepaway camp, but you put them, you know, in the responsibility of people who you don't know. And this is a parent's nightmare. And so I do grieve with those families.
And I also thank the first responders who put their lives on the line to try and rescue as many people as possible. One of my colleagues, a Republican colleague, had two of his daughters at this camp. Fortunately, they made it out. I do think as lawmakers, we have a responsibility, though, to look at did cuts affect the ability for folks on the ground and at the camp to have an earlier, better warning.
But this is really going to should we just attack government for government's sake? And for the last six months, we've seen an effort to undermine the hard work of government workers, whether it's air traffic controllers who keep planes from colliding in the air, or FEMA first responders who go into the hardest hit places in America. But if the president's press secretary doesn't like the way this is being described, I would recommend that the President go to Texas and talk to the families and show leadership, because that's what presidents do.
BOLDUAN: He is going to go. I mean, he did say he is going to go. I think the question is then how do you, – I don't know if it's if it's threading the needle, I don't know if it's saying we can have two thoughts in our head at the same time, but how do you not let this become political but still push for answers?
SWALWELL: Right, and again, my job is to make sure that we put resources in place to keep people safe. Our primary job as lawmakers is the safety of the public. And if there's a possibility that cuts at that agency affected the safety of those girls, we should understand that, and we should do better as we make funding decisions in the future.
But again, right now, you know, as they're still looking for missing people, I understand the sensitivity around the issue. And again, first and foremost, I'm a parent and this is just heartbreaking. And no parent wants to have to think that this could happen when their kid goes to camp. So lawmakers should get serious about resources. We put in place.
BOLDUAN: Congressman, thank you very much for being here today. I really appreciate it.
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