White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham responds to Anderson Cooper segment blasting her: 'CNN has lost sight of the fact that we are human beings'

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Side-by-side images of CNN's Anderson Cooper and White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham.

• Anderson Cooper made fun of White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham's response to a question on an alleged "quid pro quo" arrangement on Friday, suggesting she see the hit Broadway musical "Hamilton" if she thought White House press conferences could be characterized as "theater."
• In response, Grisham told Business Insider that "I think CNN has lost sight of the fact that we are human beings. Just as Anderson Cooper has a job to do, working for a company he is proud of, so do I. I also imagine he has a personal life, where he has to juggle quite a bit - and the same goes for me."
• On Thursday, White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney seemingly admitted that President Donald Trump had attempted to strike a quid pro quo arrangement with Ukraine, saying "corruption related to the DNC server" was "why we held up the money" to reporters on live TV.
• Grisham then appeared the next day on "FOX & Friends" to echo what Mulvaney later attempted to walk back, saying the media had gotten into a "tizzy" but that Mulvaney had stuck to the narrative that there was no agreement for Trump to obtain damaging information on his political rivals in exchange for foreign aid.
• She referred to the resulting media attention as "theater," saying "It is about people wanting to be on TV and making names for themselves." Cooper pointed out that the entire conference was already televised.
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CNN's Anderson Cooper derided White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham on Friday, suggesting that she see the Broadway musical "Hamilton" before calling Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney's comments on an alleged quid pro quo deal with Ukraine "theater."

In response, Grisham told Business Insider in an email that "I think CNN has lost sight of the fact that we are human beings. Just as Anderson Cooper has a job to do, working for a company he is proud of, so do I. I also imagine he has a personal life, where he has to juggle quite a bit - and the same goes for me."

On Thursday, Mulvaney told reporters on live TV that "corruption related to the DNC server" was "why we held up the money," referring to the basis of the impeachment investigation into President Donald Trump's attempted deal with Ukraine to obtain damaging information on his political opponents in exchange for a predetermined aid package.

Mulvaney later attempted to walk back his statements, saying "there was absolutely no quid pro quo," despite describing the quid pro quo earlier that day, saying "get over it, there's going to be political influence in foreign policy." 

Read more: Here's the transcript of Mick Mulvaney's Thursday press briefing - decide for yourself whether he confirms Trump's Ukraine phone call was an illegal quid pro quo

Grisham then appeared on "FOX & Friends" Friday morning to say Mulvaney "did a great job" and that the White House just had to clarify the things the media got into a "tizzy" over.

"I think as evidenced by yesterday with Mick it was again more theater. It is about people wanting to be on TV and making names for themselves," Grisham said.

Cooper responded on his humor segment "The Ridiculist" to say Grisham had relayed an "alternate universe version of what happened."

"Miss Grisham clearly doesn't get to Broadway enough if she, you know, thinks those press conferences are theater. Maybe on one of the seven days a week she's not doing her job, she can catch maybe a matinee of 'Hamilton,'" Cooper said. "Also, hate to break it to her but TV reporters are already on TV."

Grisham says he "got that part right."

"I am a single mom who (proudly) holds three roles in the White House, and I am doing the very best I can.  But I definitely don't get to Broadway enough," she told Business Insider.

Cooper also noted that Grisham had used the defense of "theater" before, and suggested that she needed to workshop her talking points.

"Friggin media. Always in a tizzy over silly little things like using the presidency for corrupt personal gain, using American taxpayer money to coerce the desperate leader of a country under attack by Russians to dig up dirt damaging President Trump's political opponent in the upcoming election, that's nothing," Cooper said.

CNN didn't immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

• Read more:
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• 8 Trump officials made stunning revelations about how the president and Giuliani weaponized the State Department
• 3 big reasons why Rudy Giuliani is the weakest link in Trump's inner circle as the Ukraine scandal widens
• Mick Mulvaney tries to claw back his confirmation - made on live TV - that Trump threatened to withhold aid to Ukraine to secure political dirt on Democrats