Watch out, White House press corps!
After battling an infestation of rodents and cockroaches and trying to protect themselves from a still-growing coronavirus outbreak in the West Wing, reporters covering the country’s supposedly safest property are now fending off rabid animals.
CNN’s Joe Johns on Wednesday had to fight back a raccoon on the White House lawn just seconds before going live, a hilarious moment caught on video and shared on Twitter by one of his colleagues, Alisyn Camerota.
The veteran journalist was heard yelling and growling at the animal as the creature appeared to run by his crew moments before a live shot for the network’s “New Day.”
“Get!” he yelled, before leaning down to pick up what looked like a wooden box and tossing it at the off-screen visitor.
This is what a consummate professional @joejohnscnn is. Seconds before his @NewDay live shot, he fends off a raccoon attack! Just another day in the nutty news cycle. #behindthescenes #whitehouseraccoon #wildlife pic.twitter.com/p13w3QICiD
— Alisyn Camerota (@AlisynCamerota) October 7, 2020
Johns then turned back to the camera and began his report as if nothing had happened.
Moments later, as he was off the air again, the reporter ranted to his crew, noting that it was the second time in recent days that a raccoon interrupted their work outside the White House.
“Freaking raccoons, man. God! Again!” Johns said. “It always comes around right about when I’m going to go on TV.”
Camerota described her colleague as “a consummate professional” for fending off a raccoon attack while getting ready to go on live TV.
“Just another day in the nutty news cycle,” she tweeted.
Johns later clarified that no animals were harmed and that he threw the box to scare it off.
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