'Can I stop you here?' CNN host challenges Republican's deflection over GOP 'Nazi' problem

CNN's Audie Cornish cut off a Republican congressman after he deflected away from an antisemitism rift that's roiling the conservative movement.

Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) ripped former Fox News host Tucker Carlson as “the most dangerous antisemite in America" after he hosted Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes for an interview, and he then cut ties with the Heritage Foundation after its president, Kevin Roberts, defended the conservative broadcaster.

"Help us make senseof this," Cornish said. "I know you actuallycanceled an event with the Heritage Foundation over theirsupport, those comments we heardearlier. But here's the thing.You had those leaked messagesfrom national Young Republicanleaders saying, 'I love Hitler,'joking about atrocities. Iremember the appointee Paul Ingrassia had to withdrawafter his own scandal, where hebragged about having a Nazistreak. Is Tucker the problem oris this systemic through the Republican Party?"

Fine insisted that wasn't the case and claimed that Democrats actually had a deeper problem with antisemitism in their ranks.

"Well, no," Fine said. "Thanks for having me thismorning. It's not systemic, but we are having a fight that the Democrats refused to have a few years ago when antisemitism crept into their party and they refused to do anything about it, and look what they have become. What we have isissues in our party. It's aminority, but it's a loudminority, and it is a growingminority."

The "CNN This Morning" host cut off Fine at that point.

"Congressman, can I stop you here for a second?" Cornish said. "You have spoken so strongly on this, andhonestly, it sounds like you'reminimizing it when you say itthis way. I mean, obviously, Iunderstand what people have saidabout Democrats, especially inthe light of the attack in Gazaon Israel, but this is sospecific. These are the mosthigh-profile voices on theright."

The GOP lawmaker disputed her assertion.

"No, I don't want to minimize it because it is a big deal, and Tucker Carlson has a huge platform," Fine said. "He wasthe dominant conservative voicefor many years. I'm notminimizing it, but for example,I served with 219 Republicans in the Florida House – only two of them areantisemites. So it is small,but it is growing. That is thethreat, not what it is today,but what it could be if wedon't do something about it. Sodo not say that I'm minimizingthe problem. I don't want toend up where the Democrats are,and that's where we will endup if we don't do somethingabout it."

"So I am not minimizingthe problem, I just don't thinkit is the overwhelming majority, and that's why the Heritage Foundation's decision was sucha big deal, because they're oneof the linchpins of theconservative movement, and forthem to take the position thatthey did was so shocking," Fine added. "Itshowed the advance of thishorrible ideology."

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