CNN was the victim of a prank on New Year's Eve, courtesy of fans of 2017 Washington Free Beacon Man of the Year Clay Travis.
Brooke Baldwin and Don Lemon anchored the network's New Year's Eve coverage in New Orleans, Lousiana, when a couple stole the show with a marriage proposal. Little did CNN know that Dustin Smith was already married to his wife, Marissa.
The couple's time on television was not about the "proposal," but rather what Marissa had to say right after.
"I love boobs! B-double o-b-s!" she yelled into Baldwin's microphone.
"Outkick, baby!" Dustin yelled, referring to Travis' website.
The reason for this was a challenge posted by Travis, where he asked his fans to go to the bar in New Orleans where Baldwin and Lemon were broadcasting from and to yell their affinity for "boobs" for money.
Okay, @outkick new year’s eve challenge for Bama, Clemson or others on Bourbon Street in NOLA. Boobs Baldwin and Don Lemon are interviewing random people in the bar there. Get on air and say you love boobs and I will give you $10k.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) January 1, 2018
Travis said that he would pay $10,000 to a fan of his Outkick the Coverage website if they had fun at CNN's expense and $20,000 if it was a woman.
Why CNN and why with Baldwin there? In September, while Travis was being interviewed by Baldwin, he stated that the only two things he believes completely in are "the First Amendment and boobs."
Baldwin was stunned by Travis' comments and he was banned from appearing on the network. Travis, whose reporting and criticism of ESPN in 2017 garnered widespread attention, has trained his fire on CNN ever since for what he considered hypocritical posturing on Baldwin's part.
When Travis' challenge was met on Sunday night, he was jubilant.
I love everyone at @outkick. That is fucking phenomenal. Pure genius from that couple. Absolute fucking geniuses.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) January 1, 2018
Hey @cnn don’t fuck with @outkick. BOOBS! For the win! https://t.co/6IknwKisDh
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) January 1, 2018
Holy fuck!!!! That is the greatest thing in @cnn history!!!!
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) January 1, 2018
The @outkick duo who just blew up @cnn with a fake marriage proposal in NOLA & then screamed they love boobs are @marissabeall & @DustinCSmith. They are geniuses & just made $20k from me. I love you both & I’d officiate your wedding if you weren’t married already. Happy New Year!
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) January 1, 2018
So @outkick dunked on @BrookeBCNN & @cnn so hard last night on their own airwaves that I think they're still in concussion protocol. Must watch video of absolute destruction. B-O-O-B-S style. https://t.co/3bWQp8qpaX
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) January 1, 2018
Travis also noted the fake "proposal" was promoted as real on CNN. As of Monday evening, the video of it was still on CNN.com, with the caption that Lemon and Baldwin "help a couple get engaged in New Orleans.
This won’t surprise y’all, but @cnn is so dumb (or dishonest) that they’re treating the @outkick marriage proposal boobs trolling as real news. Legit fake news. pic.twitter.com/7Zhp7PJz2p
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) January 1, 2018
If @Outkick didn't have the receipts, I honestly don't know if I'd believe that @ClayTravis was capable of trolling CNN *this* hard. But yes, the man might be the grandmaster of schadenfreude. https://t.co/WwEcAmVkIb
— Tiana Lowe (@TianaTheFirst) January 1, 2018
Now, Travis is expanding his offer for saying "boobs" on CNN and has an offer for President Donald Trump's reelection campaign.
"Further, let’s make 2018 the year of boobs on CNN. For every Outkick crew member who gets on CNN and says you love boobs, I give you $1k," Travis wrote. "If you get on and say you love boobs on Baldwin’s show, I give you $2k. And if Donald Trump goes on CNN and says he loves boobs then I promise to raise $10 million for his reelection campaign."