CNN host shuts down conservative defending Trump calling immigrants 'animals'

CNN political panelist Alice Stewart attempted to explain away Donald Trump describing some migrants as "animals," but Democrat Maria Cardona and CNN host Jim Acosta weren't having it.

Speaking Monday morning, Stewart began by spinning Trump's threats of a "bloodbath" as being about the economic fate of the automobile industry rather than a call for violence.

However, Cardona countered that this line would be believable if Trump didn't consistently use violent rhetoric and praise those who committed violence on his behalf.

Acosta said that it's "really a stretch" for anyone claiming the comments are "out of context" or "just rhetoric."

"It's so dangerous," said Acosta, who was a target of Trump's while he was in the White House. "It seems to be encouraging violence. And when you dehumanize migrants, calling them animals, it's dangerous."

READ MORE: Trump is exploiting, abusing, playing, bending and breaking the legal system

Cardona explained to Stewart that it would be fine to give Trump the benefit of the doubt were it not for his lengthy history of inciting political violence.

"He has a history of talking about violent rhetoric, violent actions," Cardona said. "He knows that his MAGA cult followers, that his supporters hear a dog whistle, and they're saying, 'Oh, here is what Donald Trump is telling us to do. That's why Jan. 6 happened. So, when he talks about a 'bloodbath' this is not the first time that he talks in these terms. [At] CPAC his supporters were talking about a civil war. If Donald Trump lost the election, this leads to a bloodbath. This leads to death."

Cardona also reacted angrily to Trump's attacks on migrants.

"He talks about how your family and mine poison the blood of this country!" Cardona exclaimed. "And that is not innocent. Talk that led to a shooting and El Paso, that led to the shooting in Uvalde. These things do not happen without other crimes or not [without a] bloodbath."

Stewart said that she agreed with Cardona about Trump's comments about "poisoning the blood of the country," but insisted that in this particular context, Trump was referring to gang members and killers.

Acosta, however, wasn't buying it.

"He said he didn't know that Hitler used that kind of language to describe the Jewish people, but this has been pointed out in the news coverage time and again that this is rhetoric used by Adolf Hitler," said Acosta. "And he watches the news all the time. So, he knows. He's seen the coverage. So, over the weekend, when he says, 'Oh, I didn't realize that,' he's lying. I mean, why give him that benefit of the doubt?"

See the exchange in the video below or at the link here.

CNN host shuts down conservative defending Trump calling immigrants 'animals'youtu.be