'You got fired!' CNN panel devolves as Republican hurls 'personal insults'

Tensions flared on CNN late Wednesday when a former MSNBC host accused a Republican strategist of hurling "personal insults" at her during a heated discussion over whether the Trump administration has a "colonizer's attitude."

Tiffany Cross, host of "The Cross Connection" on MSNBC for two years ending in 2022, sparred with conservative Scott Jennings on "NewsNight" with host Abby Phillip.

The dust-up occurred during a segment on President Donald Trump pausing most tariffs for 90 days except China. As Jennings said China is an "enemy" and that the U.S. "shouldn't be dependent on them," Cross shot back, "they're not our enemy — they're our biggest trading partner."

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Jennings pointed to China's "slave labor" practices and accused Cross of being "okay" with that to ensure U.S. products are cheaper, an accusation she vehemently denied but said is the "reality."

Cross later rankled the Republicans on the panel when she insisted it's a "colonizer's attitude to say, 'I like it, I'm just going to steal it.'"

"Steal what?" Jennings interjected.

"Land! Land!" she responded. "You cannot go and just say, 'I like it. It's mine now.' It doesn't work that way."

"We didn't," Jennings replied.

"That is what they're trying to do. And in this new world order —" she began, as an indignat Jennings scoffed and retorted, "What?"

Cross pointed to the Trump administration's fixation on acquiring Greenland as evidence of a "colonizer's mindset."

"I've never ever said we're going to go to Greenland and quote, 'colonize it' or 'steal it,'" Jennings shot back.

"I'm not even talking about you. You're not a member of government so you're irrelevant," Cross returned. "I'm talking about the president of the United States."

Jennings didn't take the dig well.

"You got fired from your job. How relevant are you?" Jennings retorted.

Jennings proceeded to get a dressing down at the hands of Cross, who held up a finger as she laid into him.

"Scott, if you want to engage in personal insults, what you lack in a legitimate point you make up for in personal insults."

Watch the heated exchange below or at this link.