CNN host Michael Smerconish on Saturday pushed back on the idea that the White House could bury three major news stories on a Friday night as a hurricane barreled toward the U.S.

“In the 24/7 cycle in which we live where everybody is tethered to a smartphone the premise that you can hide news on a Friday night is a dated concept,” Smerconish said.

“None of us is waiting for a Saturday morning or afternoon newspaper. Those days are long over," he added.

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On Friday evening, as the then-Category 4 Hurricane Harvey raced toward the Texas Gulf Coast, the White House announced that President Trump would officially ban transgender people from entering the military, that he had pardoned controversial former sheriff Joe Arpaio and that White House aide Sebastian Gorka had departed the White House.

Smerconish said Saturday he didn't think Trump pardoning the controversial former Maricopa County, Ariz., sheriff would "get lost in the storm."

Instead, the CNN host argued that pardoning Arpaio sends a signal to figures caught up in federal the investigation into possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.

“Will they now be emboldened, believing that the president will have their back if they become legally entangled? That might be the bigger message sent by the Arpaio pardon," he said.

The CNN host's comments come after a whirlwind Friday night that saw Trump's presidential memorandum barring transgender people from the military, the pardoning of Arpaio and the resignation of White House aide Sebastian Gorka.