CNN anchor mocks Indian American spelling bee champion

"We're not sure that it's root is in Sanskrit, which is what you're probably, uh, used to using."



Look, this isn't hard. An on-air interview with the winner of the National Spelling Bee. Ask her how she prepared, what it felt like to win, and what she's going to do now. Don't say anything racist.

That seems simple enough, right? Not quite.

Last week, CNN anchors Alisyn Camerota and Chris Cuomo were interviewing 12-year-old Ananya Vinya, the newly crowned Scripps National Spelling Bee champion, when they challenged her to spell "covfefe." Ha ha. The infamously inexplicable word recently tweeted by Donald Trump. Funny... I guess?

But then after going through the motions of this inane bit, Camerota attempts to explain the "origin" of the word to Vinay, telling her "But it is a nonsense word but we're not sure that it's root is in Sanskrit which is what you're probably, uh, used to using."

12-year-old Ananya Vinay wins National Spelling Bee

The "Indian Super Bowl" crowns a new champion.



M-A-R-O-C-A-I-N. A new spelling champion is crowned! 12-year-old Ananya Vinay of Fresno, California correctly spelled "marocain" Thursday night to win the 90th Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Hundreds of badass young spellers from around the country gathered in Washington DC this week for several days of grueling, knock-out, drag-down competition. In the end, one remained standing.

Ananya, a sixth grader at Fugman Elementary School correctly spelled "marocain" (a dress fabric of ribbed crepe, made of silk or wool or both) in Thursday's final round. She takes home a $40,000 cash prize, a $2,500 savings bond, a collection of reference books, a giant trophy, and supreme spelling bragging rights.