President Donald Trump would prefer viewers watch CNN, despite his frequent criticism of the cable news outlet, according to MSNBC host Lawrence O'Donnell.
In a Monday interview with video news network "Cheddar," the pundit, "Deadly Force" author and host of MSNBC's "The Last Word" said Trump is acutely aware of the power of his attention.
"It's good business when the president attacks you," he said, adding that when Trump "attacks CNN as frequently as he does" it is "because MSNBC is much higher-rated."
The remarks start at the 9:20-minute mark.
"You'll notice, he never says the letters MSNBC," O'Donnell said. "We have a much bigger audience than CNN, and he would prefer people to watch CNN."
Unlike MSNBC, CNN uses conservative commentators like Rick Santorum, S.E. Cupp, and Jason Miller to compile panels that can give voice to arguments from both sides of the aisle.
"They pay people to defend him," O'Donnell said of CNN, adding: "A good third of the show will be a spirited, and insane and lying, defense of Donald Trump."
O'Donnell's own network made headlines when Rachel Maddow grew tearful while reading a breaking news report about the existence of "tender age" shelters for the babies and toddlers of illegal immigrants caught crossing the border. Her 9 p.m. ET show precedes O'Donnell's 10 p.m. slot.
He said it was his colleague's tearful display that allowed him to stay composed on air.
"Rachel strengthened me," O'Donnell said. "I was able to be less emotional because Rachel was expressing my emotions for me."
He predicted, "We're going to continue to get more secret recordings of children out of these jail."
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