FILE – In this April 4, 2016 file photo, author and CNN commentator Jeffrey Toobin arrives at the “American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson” For Your Consideration event in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)

Perhaps one of the more unintentionally humorous aspects of Michael Avenatti’s conviction on extortion charges last week has been watching how furiously his supporters at CNN have been trying to hide or otherwise excuse how they were his biggest cheerleaders in the aftermath of President Trump’s election.

Video evidence proves it beyond a shadow of a doubt. What’s worse yet for CNN is the fact that it was obvious the kind of person Avenatti was from the word “go”, which Fox News’ Tucker Carlson pointed out in a spot-on segment last May on how Avenatti was exploiting porn star Stormy Daniels.

But in spite of all the evidence to the contrary of the claims of CNN media firefighter Brian Stelter and others, CNN’s chief legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin appeared on Anderson Cooper’s show on Friday to discuss Avenatti’s conviction. Included in his remarks were how he “got to know” Avenatti and how walking with him was like “walking with a major, major celebrity”:

Toobin recalled how “he was on CNN a lot” and said, “I remember once at the peak of all of this, we went to lunch in midtown, when our offices were in midtown, and we walked back together to CNN, and it was like walking with a major, major celebrity. People came up to him. It’s like, you know, ‘Go for it! Go get Trump!’ You know, he had this hashtag #basta. People remember that. And at the peak of this, he even announced he was considering running for president and he went to Iowa, he went to New Hampshire. And to call it hubris… doesn’t do it justice. I mean, the craziness of this.”
[…]
And as they discussed the seriousness of Avenatti’s actions, Toobin said his “total collapse” was extraordinary and admitted, “Frankly, you know, I feel kind of snookered, because I took him seriously.”

Watch video of the full segment here.

This is just nuts and not very believable. Avenatti’s entire schtick was about making a name for himself at the expense of President Trump by using any means necessary. CNN and MSNBC both lapped it up and ignored his obvious con man behavior because he was a means to an end for their Orange Man Bad narratives.

Twitter users took Toobin to the woodshed over his “snookered” claim:

Some of us in legal community IMMEDIATELY recognized Avenatti as a snake oil salesman. It was as easy to spot as a fresh pile of dog shit on a white carpet. Those who were snookered are blinded by TDS and their legal analysis shouldn’t be taken seriously. https://t.co/49OsbCHB0U

— Matthew Kolken (@mkolken) February 16, 2020

No one was snookered. In their desperation to find someone to “take down Trump” they embraced an obvious con man. Everyone else saw it. 🤷‍♀️https://t.co/wGAANuxLdO

— Stacey – Collectively Guilty of Nothing (@ScotsFyre) February 15, 2020

I wonder if anyone at CNN feels snookered that they take Toobin seriously? https://t.co/H6X46UZ5AU

— Eddie Zipperer (@EddieZipperer) February 15, 2020

I wonder when Jeffrey Toobin will acknowledge the "real pathology at work" in himself/his CNN colleagues! Even in this clip, they're half-apologizing for Avenatti/not saying he's a bad guy…it's more like, oh it's so sad things are collapsing in on him 🤷‍♀️

— 😇 (@IStateYourName_) February 15, 2020

What kind of lawyer and legal analyst couldn’t read the obvious “tells” that Avenatti exuded from the start? I thought Jeffrey Toobin was supposed to be intelligent and experienced. To claim that Avenatti “snookered” him doesn’t speak well of his judgement. Avenatti = con artist.

— Patricia Vizzoni (@Vizzpat) February 16, 2020

Indeed.