'Losing your argument by the second': CNN panelist shuts down conservative's 'sick' claims

A conservative commentator's attacks on the Muslim faith were quickly tamped down by fellow panelists on "CNN This Morning."

The panel was discussing Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s false claim this week that modern Arab Muslims don’t produce science and literature like they had in the past or win prestigious awards, and anti-trans activist Terry Schilling agreed despite host Audie Cornish providing specific examples of award-winning Arab Muslims in recent years.

"I think it's a mistake tocategorize this as a race thing," Schilling said. "This is about worldview, and wecan't deny that Islam is aworldview. It is a politicalideology, it's a religion.There's a lot of things come toit, and I will point outsomething –"

Cornish cut in to say that Schilling was missing the point.

"But what we can deny isthat 500 million Arabs in theworld don't produce literature," she said. "Well, look, that is insane. Thatis not remotely [true] – you want totalk about ideology, you want togo after Islam, I understand, Iunderstand where you are tryingto go. What I don't understandis saying half a billion peoplehaven't produced anything."

"Well, they're not producingour quality of literature," Schilling argued.

"Theyare!" Cornish exclaimed. "It is the national book awardfor fiction."

Schilling stammered before landing on his line of attack.

"So what have they produced?" he said. "Look, this is getting, okay,here's the problem, stagnantsocieties. When Christiansvote together as a bloc, it'sattacked and derided as Christian nationalism. Butapparently it's only okay to dothat if you're Islamic and partof the Muslim faith. It's atotal double standard, and Iwill just say Islam is not. Howis it that Islam is the same coalition –"

Cornish interrupted to point out that Kennedy was speaking specifically about Arabs, and fellow panelist Antjuan Seawright took a whack at his argument.

"Terry, you arelosing your argument by thesecond," Seawright said. "Look, the bottom line isthis is consistent and a patternof behavior by Donald Trump andthe MAGA movement. Theymoisturize and bathe in racismand bigotry. This is anotherlayer of that. Why do you think Donald Trump takes to the podiumand calls Abdul [El-Sayed] out of his nameintentionally, and tries toraise this?"

The Hill's Julia Manchester then tried to place Kennedy's remarks in context.

"He is in Michigan, a statewhere we have seen the Arab American vote very clearly havean impact," Manchester said. "He is pushing thosevoters away. We're not, I'm notsaying that those Arab Americansin Michigan were going to votefor [Republican] Mike Rogers, but he is notadding people to the coalition there."

Cornish rolled a clip of a Black Democrat in Michigan who said that he's had to explain to fellow autoworkers that El-Sayed was an American citizen who was born in their state, and Seawright piled on the racist attacks that Schilling was amplifying.

"These people are sick – it'sterrible, it's frustrating, andit's sick for you to say Abduldoes not belong in Michigan ornot Michigan-adjacent, becausehe's an American," Seawright said, "and I think – let me say this – he's an American and heshould be able to enjoy the American experiment. Whatthey're trying to do isget a response and an anger outof a certain group of people whobelieve that Barack Obama wasnot a U.S. citizen, had a fakecertificate."

"They washed andbathed and moisturized inracism, bigotry, and they wantto divide this country," he added. "Americais notlike this because Donald Trump's president. Donald Trump is president, because America is like this. They knowthis, and they're trying to tapinto the MAGA base to activatethose voters who are arguablygoing to stay home."

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