Fox News Guest Says CNN Should Try to Understand What It Did Wrong to Get a Bomb in the Mail

A guest who appeared on a Fox News panel on Sunday suggested that CNN's news coverage was a contributing factor behind a bomb being sent to the network's offices last week.

Emily Jashinsky, an editor for The Federalist online magazine, at first condemned the attempts at violence, such as the suspicous package sent to CNN, but then caveated her condemnation by arguing that the news network should try to understand where the anger is coming from.

"When you see at rallies people chanting, 'CNN sucks' — I would never do it personally — but CNN makes no effort to understand why people feel that way," Jashinsky said. "They do the opposite. Right? They act like they are the victims, that they've done nothing wrong to deserve this."

Although she clarified that "there's no room for violence," she also added that "they [CNN] need some self-reflection."

A number of Democratic leaders were sent explosives in the mail last week, including former president Barack Obama, former Vice President Joe Biden, liberal billionaire George Soros, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Senator Cory Booker. A pipe-bomb package was also sent to Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and CNN, where Clapper now works as a contributor.

Cesar Sayoc, 56, has been arrested and charged with interstate transportation of an explosive, illegal mailing of explosives, threats against former presidents and certain other persons, threatening interstate communications and assaulting current and former federal officers in connection with the packages. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said on Friday that Sayoc could face 58 years in prison if convicted.

Sayoc, a Trump supporter, targeted almost precisely the figures that the President has encouraged his followers to despise in speeches and interviews and on social media. Asked by Fox News host Howard Kurtz about the criticism that the president had fomented the violence, Jashinsky called such the connection "unfortunate."

"And it takes responsibility away from where it belongs: with the sick and twisted individuals who are committing these heinous crimes," she said. To blame anybody but the people responsible for this, I find disgraceful and unfortunate."

"It was tough to watch some of the media coverage this week," she added.

Democratic strategist Adrienne Elrod, who also appeared on the panel, pushed back against Jashinsky's comments.

"There is a divisiveness in this country that the president of the United States has created," Elrod explained. "He criticizes the media. We've had media who have had to have Secret Service protection," she said. "He's not doing anything to try to bring this country together."