CNN’s John King is the only one having ‘fun’ on Election Day: Viewers react to catchphrase

What history has shown us about contested elections and peaceful transitions of power. USA TODAY

Stressful. Anxious. Overwhelming. These are a few words being used to describe Election Day Tuesday. CNN’s John King seems to be the only person calling it “fun.”

King – CNN’s fast-talking chief national correspondent, who spent hours operating the network’s “magic wall” interactive presidential election results map – has the Twitterverse on edge over his cheery adjective. 

While providing commentary on the unfolding presidential race, King repeatedly used the catchphrase, “This is fun.” By the looks of it, viewers were not joyous.

“John King of CNN has said ‘This is fun’ about 20 times. John King and I have VERY different interpretations of what fun is,” tweeted @jdwickie. User @AlexGKai added, “If John King keeps saying this is fun I’m going to scream.”

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CNN anchor John King kept up the pace and the enthusiasm through hours of reporting on Election Night results.

 (Photo: Rebecca D’Angelo, The Washington Post/Getty Images)

“Someone needs to tell John King to stop saying ‘this is fun,'” tweeted Daniel D’Addario, a television critic at Variety. User @burner_emily wrote, “not john king calling this election ‘fun’… sir my rights are at stake.”

User @sricola said King’s repeated use of “fun” is the “definition of 2020.” 

Some described it as cringeworthy. “Every time John King on CNN says, ‘This is fun’ I hear nails on a chalk board,” @Kool_Mo_B tweeted.

Others were forced to turn the channel. “John King has to stop calling this fun. I finally changed the channel because of it. Do your job dude, but this isn’t some fun game. Angry,” @cldichtenberg wrote. 

User @GillianECarroll added, “I need breaks from the John King map from time to time or I get too stressed. He’s all ‘this is fun’ as I try to breathe on my couch.”

Others offered up King’s signature saying as a drinking game to make light of the situation. 

“Drinking game: Take a shot every time John King says ‘this is why elections are fun,'” @brian_abell81 tweeted.

User@andrewtorre10 added, “New drinking game. Take a sip every time John King says something about how much fun he’s having. Aaaaaaand we’re drunk by 10pm.”

The consensus across social media: “John King is having way too much fun with this,” tweeted @nothanklou.

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