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CNN reporter wins fans in his native Ireland after an encounter with profane Trump fan

CNN reporter wins fans in his native Ireland after an encounter with profane Trump fan

With a name like Donie O’Sullivan people in Ireland likely already had a predisposition to admire the up-and-coming CNN correspondent.

But O’Sullivan earned even greater respect and an unusual tribute from some folks in his homeland, Forbes magazine revealed in a story earlier today.

“CNN correspondent Donie O’Sullivan has had many noteworthy encounters with die-hard supporters of former President Donald Trump, but the rude response O’Sullivan got from a man in Ohio last Saturday has now sparked a viral video—and a charity t-shirt campaign in O’Sullivan’s native Ireland,” Forbes senior contributor Mark Joyella wrote.

The CNN reporter was lauded for his nonchalant follow-up question after asking the name of one hostile MAGA supporter at last week’s Trump rally outside of Cleveland, Ohio, and getting the following response:

“My name is go f*ck yourself,” the red-hatted trump fan replied.

Without even batting an eyelash, O’Sullivan ignored the rude rejoinder and jumped in quickly with a second question.

“Right, and are you from Ohio?” the CNN correspondent shot back.

After O’Sullivan posted a video of the encounter on his Twitter feed, it rapidly garnered thousands of views and won him at least one eager fan in the person of his fellow countryman, Adrian Barry, who decided to design a t-shirt “inspired by @Donie’s moment of magic in Ohio.”

https://twitter.com/WhosAdrianBarry/status/1410286636412411907?s=20

Barry told Irish Central that sales of the t-shirts will benefit the Irish charity Muslim Sisters of Eire, something that is sure to infuriate many of Trump’s islamophobic followers.

“Like millions of others, I watched Donie’s chat with the charming Trump supporter in Ohio,” Barry told Irish Central.

“What floored me was Donie’s unflinching response. I’ve worked in broadcasting for 20+ years and there are very few people who would’ve had the composure and wit to deadpan the MAGA man’s passively furious response to a very simple question,” he continued.

“Barry says he’s impressed with O’Sullivan’s reaction, saying it ‘cut the rug under his interviewee in an instant’ and that it’s ‘a very small insight into why this guy is operating at the top of his game for one of the highest-profile news outlets on the planet,'” Irish Central reports.

While O’Sullivan may have emigrated from Ireland to seek greener media pastures in the USA, apparently his countrymen don’t hold any of that against him.

Instead, they seem proud of their compatriot’s success in the New World and his uncanny ability to remain unflustered even when encountering the worst that America has to offer.

Rock on, Donie O’Sullivan!

Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter. 

Original reporting by Kerry O’Shea at Irish Central and by Mark Joyella at Forbes.

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Vinnie Longobardo
Managing Editor
Vinnie Longobardo is the Managing Editor of Occupy Democrats. He's a 35-year veteran of the TV, mobile & internet industries, specializing in start-ups and the international media business. His passions are politics, music, and art.

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