CNN reporter Gary Tuchman visits Anniston, Alabama, to gauge local reactions to President Trump's controversial remarks about developing nations in early 2018. The report opens at a pool hall where Tuchman plays a game of billiards with Bob Hollingsworth, a loyal Republican who rates Trump's overall performance a 7 out of 10 but admits the language used was unpresidential. Around 01:00, the segment moves through downtown Anniston, interviewing restaurant workers and customers who express varying degrees of disapproval, describing the language as unprofessional or lacking in decorum. At 01:22, antique toy store owner Gene Robinson offers a defense, suggesting Trump simply operates from the hip rather than intending malice. Returning to the pool table at 01:54, Hollingsworth reflects on the criticism before candidly stating that while the remark was crude, it would not change his vote.
It is an insightful piece of man-on-the-street journalism that captures the nuanced attitudes of voters in Trump-leaning districts. What stands out most is the lack of outrage; as Tuchman notes in his live exchange with anchor Jim Sciutto at 02:24, many residents had not even heard the quote yet, and those who had were largely unbothered. The clip does a good job of showing how everyday voters often compartmentalized personal rhetoric from overall political loyalty.