CNN senior political analyst David Gergen offered a vision of what a possible Roger Stone prison term might look like, saying the former Trump adviser — whom Gergen called a “dandy” — might be subject to rape in prison.
“Paul Manafort could well die in jail. He’s a crippled man. We’ve now heard harrowing tales about what’s happening to him in prison,” Gergen said during an appearance on CNN’s “Outfront” on Monday, referring to another former Trump adviser who pleaded guilty to eight felony charges in connection with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation.
“Roger Stone must also worry that if he goes there, he’s seen as something of a dandy,” Gergen added. “Will he be physically safe? Will he be subject to rape? There must be a lot of things that are going through his mind.”
The moment took place during a discussion of Stone’s ongoing legal troubles, including his most recent decision to post an Instagram image of the presiding judge in his case with crosshairs in the background. He later apologized and deleted the post. Last month, he pleaded not guilty to felony charges of obstruction of justice, witness tampering and making false statements.
The “rape” moment largely flew by anchor Kate Bolduan, who was filling in for the show’s normal host, Erin Burnett. A rep for CNN did not immediately respond to request for comment from TheWrap.
Stone, who is under a court gag order, had no comment.
It’s not the first time a CNN talking head has been accused of crass speculation about a potential Stone prison sentence. Last month, anchor Jake Tapper said during a panel discussion that Stone “might like” going to prison, a comment that Stone and a number of online critics took as a veiled homophobic remark.
“Why did Jake Tapper insinuate that I was gay and gleefully proclaim that I would ‘like it’ in prison,” Stone told TheWrap.
A CNN spokesperson said that Tapper was referring to Stone’s love of attention and the spotlight.
Stone has long side-stepped questions about his personal life, telling an activist in a video interview in 2017, “Why is that anyone’s business? … I’m trysexual. I’ve tried everything.”