MAGA influencer clashes with Dem in heated exchange over Trump troop deployment

Democratic strategist Jack Cocchiarella clashed with MAGA influencer Michael Knowles on Wednesday over President Donald Trump's justification for deploying federal troops to Democratic-run cities like Portland, Oregon, and Chicago.

Cocchiarella and Knowles appeared on "Piers Morgan Uncensored" to discuss the Trump administration's efforts to deploy National Guard troops. Trump said Tuesday he is considering invoking the Insurrection Act to legally justify the deployments. Some courts have ruled the deployments are illegal and pushed back on the administration's claims that Democrat-run cities have become warzones.

Knowles claimed the administration should invoke the Insurrection Act because blue states are "failing" and have become "crime-ridden."

"It has nothing to do with failing, crime-ridden blue states," Cocchiarella said. "It's a non-issue."

"Do you think there's no crime in Chicago?" Knowles shot back.

"One second, Mike," Cocchiarella responded. "...If you thought that law enforcement was the answer to this problem, Donald Trump wouldn't be cutting the budget of law enforcement across this country to the tune of billions of dollars."

Knowles claimed Trump increased the budget of police forces in his most recent funding bill.

"That's not true," Cocchiarella said.