Anderson Cooper Calls Republican Lawmaker a 'Dick' Live on Air: 'I Think He Forgot the Camera Was On'

Mar. 15, 2025

CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Dec. 11, 2022.Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Anderson Cooperlobbed a surprising name toward a longtime Republican lawmaker while they were live on CNN this week.The host of CNN’sAnderson Cooper 360invited former New Hampshire Gov.Chris Sununuon the show, where they at one point discussed PresidentDonald TrumpandElon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.As the conversation grew heated with back and forth between the two, Cooper, 57,uttered a now-viral remarktoward Sununu: “Don’t be a dick.“Cooper later apologized to Sununu, who fortunately didn’t take the incident too seriously, telling NewsNation’sChris Cuomothat it felt like a political disagreement he’d have with a friend “over a beer.““When he said it, of course, I had like six — I thought — really funny comebacks,” Sununu told Cuomo, Cooper’s former colleague. “But I thought, ‘Ah, this is going to get out of control pretty [quickly].’ Because, you know me, I just want to extend the joke.“He added of Cooper: “He’s a great guy. I don’t take any offense whatsoever, and I think he just forgot the camera was [on].“In a separate statement to theNew York Post,Sununu said, “I’m from New Hampshire. It takes a lot more than that to offend me.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer.Sununu, 50, has often been critical of Trump, even flirting with entering the 2024 Republican presidential primaries before ultimately opting to sit the race out andendorse Nikki Haley.He left office after four terms as governor in January.

Anderson Cooperlobbed a surprising name toward a longtime Republican lawmaker while they were live on CNN this week.

The host of CNN’sAnderson Cooper 360invited former New Hampshire Gov.Chris Sununuon the show, where they at one point discussed PresidentDonald TrumpandElon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.

As the conversation grew heated with back and forth between the two, Cooper, 57,uttered a now-viral remarktoward Sununu: “Don’t be a dick.”

Cooper later apologized to Sununu, who fortunately didn’t take the incident too seriously, telling NewsNation’sChris Cuomothat it felt like a political disagreement he’d have with a friend “over a beer.”

“When he said it, of course, I had like six — I thought — really funny comebacks,” Sununu told Cuomo, Cooper’s former colleague. “But I thought, ‘Ah, this is going to get out of control pretty [quickly].’ Because, you know me, I just want to extend the joke.”

He added of Cooper: “He’s a great guy. I don’t take any offense whatsoever, and I think he just forgot the camera was [on].”

In a separate statement to theNew York Post,Sununu said, “I’m from New Hampshire. It takes a lot more than that to offend me.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer.

Sununu, 50, has often been critical of Trump, even flirting with entering the 2024 Republican presidential primaries before ultimately opting to sit the race out andendorse Nikki Haley.

He left office after four terms as governor in January.

source: people.com