CNN earned their moniker as the Clinton News Network on Thursday as they awaited the highly anticipated speech to be delivered by Chelsea Clinton at the Democratic National. The America’s Choice 2016 panel gushed as they reminisced about Chelsea and were awe struck by her transformation from an “awkward little girl” to “a remarkable young woman.” “I sort of feel like all of us are kind of god parents of Chelsea,” stated Bill Press.
For CNN Chief Political Analyst Gloria Borger there was timeless image of Chelsea she couldn’t get out of her head. “Do you remember that picture with them on the White House lawn and Chelsea standing,” she remembered and talked about it glowingly, “It sort of sticks out in my mind.” Host Anderson Cooper remembered it as well:
BORGER: Chelsea holding her father's hand and her mother's hand after the Lewinski—
ANDERSON COOPER: Heading toward a helicopter.
BORGER: --heading toward that helicopter between them.
John King, CNN’s Chief National Correspondent, told his own personal story about meeting Chelsea early in the Bill Clinton years:
I remember Chelsea as an awkward little girl when he was moving out of the mansion in Arkansas. She was there when they did a tour when he was moving out of the mansion as president-elect. And she was a sweet awkward little girl. I think she had braces. Now to see the poise she has…
Chelsea Clinton, whatever your politics is an amazingly poised, accomplished young woman. They should get some credit for that I guess is the point I’m trying to make.
In a rather embarrassing moment in King’s story, he admitted that Chelsea had grown up around stories of her father’s infidelities. “I'll tell you a story the Clinton campaign probably would not like me to tell,” King began. “On Super Bowl Sunday 1992, the day of the 60 Minutes interview about Monica Lewinski— I mean Gennifer Flowers,” King blurted out, “I’m sorry. About Gennifer Flowers.” King later remarked that, “Chelsea was in the White House when the Monica Lewinsky thing happened.”
King went on to gush about how Hillary wanted to be there for Chelsea when the interview actually aired. “But they [Bill and Hillary] embraced on the tarmac. And she went home to Arkansas because she said, “I need to be with Chelsea when this interview airs.” Chelsea was a month shy of her 12th birthday at that time.”