'What metrics do you have?' CNN host hammers Trump spokeswoman with fact-checks

A Trump administration official was unable to justify her claims after she was repeatedly fact-checked by CNN's John Berman.

Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security's assistant secretary for public affairs, appeared Tuesday morning on "CNN News Central," where Berman started off asking why President Donald Trump had doubled the number of National Guard troops in Los Angeles if local law enforcement said the protests were under control, as a Republican county commissioner had stated on a previous segment.

"Well, John, last night we actually saw that our law enforcement, there was Molotov cocktails being thrown at them, they were being bombarded by rocks being thrown at them as well, pummeled," McLaughlin said.

"Again, fires being lit, public property being defaced. So for them to say that they have this under control is just absolutely false. But they've been saying that since the beginning. [California Gov.] Gavin Newsom and [Los Angeles Mayor] Karen Bass have been saying that this is mostly peaceful, and Americans have eyes and ears, and they can see for themselves that these have not been peaceful protests, as cars have been lit on fire and our law enforcement has been assaulted. So we would like for local and state law enforcement to actually get this under control, John."

Berman was dubious and asked the spokeswoman to back up her assertions.

"What metrics do you have that show that last night was worse than the nights before?" Berman said. "Because by all the evidence, there were fewer – I'm not saying there wasn't, but it was absolutely, there was violence and there were clashes between protesters and police, but it was less than and less extreme than the previous night. So what metrics do you have that show the opposite?"

McLaughlin denied making the claim, and credited Trump's moves with defusing tensions.

"I didn't say that things have escalated further," she said. "I actually think thanks to the National Guard being called in, as well as the Marines, we have more resources to make sure that our federal buildings, that there's crowd control, but we have our own eyes and ears as metrics, John, which is to show that there are Molotov cocktails being thrown. There is ICE enforcement and National Guard troops, rocks being pummeled at them, fires and being lit, and American flags being burned. So I can I think we can rely on our own images to tell the story."

Berman said his own eyes told a different story.

"If we can rely on our own eyes, last night we were all watching the National Guard troops were literally behind the LAPD, the Los Angeles police and the sheriff's department, not engaging directly with the protesters," Berman said. "They were protecting federal buildings, absolutely lined up around the federal buildings. But they weren't engaged with the protesters themselves, so, again, how will doubling the number of them, if that is their mission, change the situation?"

McLaughlin tried to change the subject.

"John, because of Gavin Newsom's lack of leadership," McLaughlin said, "we've had a whole of government approach, and I think Americans can be so proud of their law enforcement in the face of assaults in the face of really hatred in the face of major threats calling for the killing of ICE, the death to America, our ICE enforcement officers, our National Guard, and our military has stood with professionalism, with dignity, with patriotism, and I think that this is something the American people can be very proud of. I know the Trump administration is incredibly proud of the professionalism we've seen out of our National Guard and other members of law enforcement, and we thank them."

Berman asked whether that was intended as a slight against local police, but she claimed it was the state's Democratic leaders who had disrespected law enforcement.

"We are very proud of our state and local law enforcement officials who, again, these protesters have been burning American flags threatening these law enforcement officers, taunting them," McLaughlin said. "It's disgusting the behavior and it's a shame that Karen Bass and Gov. Newsom continue to stand by them, not calling them down, especially, I think we should get back to the root as well, John, of what these protests are about is about, these ICE enforcement officers just carrying out the law in the last 72 hours, ICE enforcement officers have arrested child molesters, rapists, murderers, multiple gang members. They are putting themselves on the front lines, risking their lives every single day to make American communities safer."

Berman fact-checked her again.

"To be clear, both the mayor, Karen Bass, and the governor have condemned the violence of the protesters," he said. "When the protesters become violent, they each have said that it is a bad thing and for it to stop."

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