CNN panel descends into chaos after discussion on immigration gets heated
Wednesday's panel on CNN's "NewsNight with Abby Phillip" devolved into chaos and personal attacks during a heated discussion on President Donald Trump's immigration policies and the deportation of Salvadoran migrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
The most contentious moment of the night came when "The View" host Ana Navarro made a comment on illegal immigration versus slavery, which did not land well with CNN contributor Shermichael Singleton.
"There's a hell of a lot of people, other than the Black people who were brought here as slaves, who came to this country illegally. There are a lot of different - " Navarro attempted to explain before being interrupted by Singleton.
Singleton, who is African-American, took issue with Navarro's statement and sharply replied, "They are not the same as Black people who were brought here against our will."
Navarro insisted her point was misunderstood, but Singleton remained emphatic, asserting, "There's a big difference."
Phillip attempted to de-escalate the situation, suggesting that Singleton misheard what Navarro had said, but it didn't work.
"No, he purposely misheard it," Navarro shot back.
"I purposely misheard? So now you're in my brain?" he asked.
The host once again tried to calm the pair down, to no avail.
Navarro described herself as someone who always advocated for Black people and she objected to the idea that such a person would make a comment disparaging African Americans.
"Because you've advocated for Black people. Great. Congratulations. Last time I checked, I'm Black. You're not," Singleton responded.
Navarro, seemingly irked by Singleton's response, replied, "That's right. I'm Latino, and my people are being racially profiled. And unfairly treated."
Singleton once again pushed back on Navarro, asking if he had to remind her of the history of his own people.
Phillip, having lost control of the panel, decided to end the segment and cut to break.
As she was delivering her closing to the segment, the two could still be heard loudly arguing off camera.
Abrego Garcia's alleged MS-13 gang affiliation was another hot button topic for the panel, with Phillip once again having to jump in and cool the panel down.
"Effectively, what you all are arguing for, passionately, and what Democrats are passionately arguing for, is for the president of the United States to re-import a dangerous member of a transnational terrorist organization who has clear affiliations with a gang that commits heinous atrocities," Jennings said. "That is not what he was elected to do."
Jennings continued, attempting to explain "the politics" behind the Abrego Garcia case, and why he believes Democrats are fighting a losing battle.
"I'm just going to explain to you the politics of this through telling you what the speaker of the House, Hakeem Jeffries, did today, which is that he told his members, 'Please, for the love of God, stop going to El Salvador and dying on this hill,'" Jennings said. "The politics of this could not be worse for the left and worse for Democrats, because the president knows he was elected to protect us from MS-13. And that is what they are doing."
Navarro claimed none of what Jennings said has been proven, which led the CNN contributor to ask Navarro what she thought of Abrego Garcia's alleged MS-13 gang tattoos.
"I say that what Trump said yesterday was an absolute lie," she responded, referencing Trump's ABC interview on Wednesday where he claimed the deported Salvadoran migrant had MS-13 gang tattoos on his hand.
"Are you saying the MS-13 that Donald Trump claims are legitimate tattoos on this guy are true? Are you saying the Photoshop is true?" Navarro asked Jennings.
The pair continued arguing about the semantics of whether Abrego Garcia's tattoos were actually MS-13 related before Phillip stepped in and ended the conversation.
Abrego Garcia's alleged gang affiliation continued to be a point of contention for the panel, with Singleton becoming especially irritated after struggling to get a word in edgewise over the constant crosstalk.
Jennings later questioned the panel on why the United States could let "20 million people into the country," but when it comes to deporting those who entered illegally, "we have to individually pick out every single person and go through years upon years of paperwork and this and that and the other."
Navarro and CNN columnist Raul Reyes took issue with this question and quickly moved to dismiss Jennings' assertion that Democrats are working to "gum up" the Trump administration's efforts to deport those who've illegally entered the country.
"That's not true," Navarro shot back, with Reyes adding, "CNN polling shows 54% of Americans want Mr. Abrego Garcia back."
Jennings, over crosstalk from the panel, reminded them the American people voted Trump into office to carry out the agenda he ran on.
Singleton jumped into the discussion and pointed out that as a sovereign nation, people from other countries aren't allowed to illegally enter the United States whenever they want.
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