CNN's Donie on America's view of Ireland (and how it can sometimes help him get MAGA on side)
Since being caught in the middle of the events of 6 January 2021 in Washington DC, the Co Kerry man has reported on online rabbit holes, seeking to understand how conservative Americans feel about their country.
'Obviously, a lot has happened since then,' he said. '[But] we're still in the same place in America, you know. There's still a lot of people, even Trump, still talking about the 2020 election.'
A year on from the Capitol attack, Americans don't have a shared understanding of what happened that day.
We spoke to some people who are in deep denial.
Produced by
@jmoorheadcnn
@McKennaEwen
https://t.co/9Dvgqd4dsA
pic.twitter.com/zh6sotLv8K
— Donie O'Sullivan (@donie)
January 4, 2022
O'Sullivan spoke to
The Journal
on Zoom from his family home's couch in Cahersiveen with the dog, Sunny. He was home to speak to students about CNN's journalism academy at University College Dublin's campus, his old stomping ground.
Day-to-day, O'Sullivan is typically exploring how American voters interact with disinformation. It is the topic of his new three-part podcast, called Persuadable.
In it, he speaks to people who were once trapped in a world of falsehood, and touches on his own dealings with depression and anxiety as a way to examine how someone's frame of mind can impact their outlook.
He said that people do not have to have a mental health diagnosis to believe in conspiracy theories, but believed the mental health aspect of the podcast was 'a way to unlock my empathy'.
'In Ireland and the US, more and more families are dealing with people in their life, a loved one, who is going down these rabbit holes. I was trying to get into this frame of mind.'
He said that disinformation can sometimes answer all of life's problems – particularly for those who are going through a tough period.
'You can see that happening in some ways in the US at the moment,' he said. 'There obviously is an immigration problem in the US, but the way that immigrants are being blamed for every ill of society is irrational.'
Empathy
O'Sullivan makes a living speaking to people who could be described as conspiracy theorists. He recognises that he is, sometimes, meeting his interviewees at a low point in their lives.
MisinfoNation -- Sunday, 8p ET
@CNN
@CNNOriginals
@CNNPR
pic.twitter.com/rZ2jkSlgSa
— Donie O'Sullivan (@donie)
April 9, 2025
It takes a high level of empathy to listen
attentively to extreme views from people
. O'Sullivan explained that he approaches each engagement differently in that context.
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'The one thing is to treat everybody we talk to with respect. It's really a fine line, because a lot of the people I meet have a grievance.
'A lot of times, something genuinely tough is happening in their life. Their town is changing, or the local factory shut down and they've lost a job. Bad stuff is happening.
'But then they are embracing ideas that, for them, they can say: 'Okay, this explains why. This is where I can channel my frustration'. That can sometimes manifest in things that are racist, homophobic, et cetera.'
Unlike other US reporters, O'Sullivan works without the stress of daily deadlines. This allows him to connect with and select his interviewees more rigorously.
'Being Irish helps, for sure'
What about being Irish?
'It helps, for sure,' he said, but explained that a lot of conservative Americans are surprised to see a 'short, fat Irish guy with a CNN microphone'.
'I actually realised more, over time, that a lot of the surprise comes less from, 'Oh, there's a boy from Cahersiveen in the middle of Alabama', and more that it's about my identity.
'In Ireland, I think we believe that Americans associate Ireland with the Kennedys and with Biden and with, basically, Democrats.
'Whereas, actually, a lot of Americans associate Ireland with Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity and conservatism – and a particular type of conservative Catholicism.'
He added: 'What I found was a lot of Trump supporters have been surprised [by me], because they associate Ireland with conservatism and CNN with liberalism.'
This conflation can also happen with Americans on the issue of Palestine. The US ambassador to Israel recently questioned whether Ireland
had fallen into a vat of Guinness
over proposals to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements.
Meanwhile, pro-Palestine activists here say Ireland's solidarity with the people of Gaza and the West Bank is connected deeper to history and culture.
O'Sullivan said he is often asked about Ireland's stance by others in the US, but said it relates to the views Americans expect Irish people to have.
He said: 'When I go to Trump rallies, people say, 'Oh, aren't you a great Irish guy? You probably say ten decades of the rosary, and you're a conservative, and somehow they let you in CNN.'
He added: 'But I also went to quite a few events for CNN last year, covering pro-Palestine demonstrations in the US, including at the Democratic National Convention, and I met a lot of people that without even asking said 'Oh, well, you're Irish, and we know the Irish people are with this cause.'
'It's quite interesting to see how people will automatically assume your views on something. People try and make this connection because people want to connect and have some sort of affinity, even if they say that they hate the mainstream media,' O'Sullivan added.
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