CNN host Kasie Hunt is facing criticism over a remark she made during the network’s midterm election coverage after using the word “us” while discussing what panelists described as a broad rejection of President Donald Trump and Republican candidates.

The exchange took place during CNN’s election-night coverage as Hunt joined Anderson Cooper and Democratic strategist David Axelrod to assess returns from several closely watched races.

Hunt said both Republican and Democratic sources she was speaking with believed the night was developing into what she called a “blue tsunami.”

“So, look, Anderson, at this point in the night, obviously, we’re still being conservative with our decision desk, but all of the both Republicans and Democrats I’m talking to are looking across the map, and they are saying the same thing: that this night is shaping up to be a blue tsunami, just to use kind of the word that we have been wondering about the Senate races right now,” Hunt said.

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She then cited Democratic performances in several states.

“Talarico’s numbers are- he is outperforming where they need to be. The Gina Hinojosa campaign, the gubernatorial race there, they think they’re outperforming their numbers right now. That’s going to be much closer. Then you’ve got Ohio and Kansas. Republicans are saying they think those are likely- they’re telling me those are likely going to be gone, too. I mean, this is at a level that honestly was the greatest fear for Republicans. And it was something that Democrats didn’t dare to hope for.”

Axelrod then framed the election results as a national rejection of Trump.

“Well, this is a repudiation that is absolutely broad. And the through line is Donald Trump. And the through line is Trump’s- are Trump’s policies,” Axelrod said.

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Cooper followed by saying Trump was effectively part of the election despite not appearing on every ballot.

“He is on the ballot, whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat,” Cooper said.

Axelrod agreed and continued his criticism of the president.

“He begged to be on the ballot, and he is on the ballot. And the verdict is very, very negative. And it’s broad across this big, diverse country.”

Hunt then added the remark that drew immediate attention from critics.

“And it took us years to get there, too,” she said.

CNN's Kasie Hunt laments "it took us years to get" to a blue wave midterm against Trump https://t.co/bvWEWd8yZZ

— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) November 4, 2026

The use of “us” became the focus of criticism from conservative media observers, who argued that the wording sounded less like neutral analysis and more like identification with the political outcome being discussed.

NewsBusters highlighted the moment under the headline “‘It Took US Years to Get There:’ Mask-Off Moment for CNN’s Kasie Hunt.”

Critics seized on the comment as evidence that some journalists see themselves as participants in political battles rather than detached observers.

The argument centered not on Hunt’s earlier reporting about what Republicans and Democrats were telling her, but specifically on her decision to say “us” after Axelrod described the election as a repudiation of Trump.

The timing of the remark made it especially notable because the panel had just spent several minutes discussing Democratic gains and Republican losses.

Hunt had described stronger-than-expected Democratic performances in races involving James Talarico, Gina Hinojosa, Ohio and Kansas.

Axelrod then broadened the discussion into a judgment on Trump’s policies, and Cooper said Trump was functionally on the ballot.

It was immediately after that sequence that Hunt said, “And it took us years to get there, too.”

The comment has since been circulated as an example of the longstanding conservative criticism that major media outlets often blur the line between reporting and political advocacy.

Hunt did not provide additional clarification in the exchange about what she meant by “us.”

That ambiguity has allowed the remark to become a point of debate over whether she was referring broadly to political observers, the media, Democrats, or some other group.

For critics of CNN, however, the wording was enough to reinforce existing concerns about ideological bias in election coverage.

The exchange also came during a night in which Democrats were outperforming expectations across several major races, giving CNN’s panelists plenty to discuss as returns continued to come in.

But among conservatives, one word ended up drawing more attention than the rest of the segment.

“us.”

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