'This is nonsense': Tensions boil over on CNN as Trump-Zelensky feud sparks war of words

A former White House spokesman found himself in a clash with a retired Army official on CNN late Friday during a heated discussion over a verbal tussle earlier in the day between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Trump and Zelensky got into a heated argument in front of stunned reporters and onlookers during their meeting at the White House.

Pete Seat, who served in former President George W. Bush's administration, joined CNN's "NewsNight" with host Abby Philip, who asked him whether Zelensky ought to have apologized to Trump.

"Absolutely he should've done it already," said Seat. "He should've done it in the Oval Office."

Seat sarcastically called the meeting "perfect" — "I'm being ironic in that, a little bit," he joked, cracking up fellow panelist retired Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman.

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Seat insisted the first 40 minutes of the meeting were positive and cordial. He then blamed Zelensky for what unfolded.

"It wasn't until Zelensky got upset with J.D. Vance, the vice president said — and he was absolutely correct — that the previous administration was more interested in vapid wordsmithing than they were in bringing an end to this conflict," said Seat. "They cared more about applause lines at Davos than they did in ending the war in Ukraine. And he was correct about that."

Seat's comments sparked immediate discussion, with panelists trying to talk over Philip. Eventually, Vindman stepped in.

"This is nonsense. It's completely ahistorical," he declared, noting this is Trump's second administration after overseeing four years of war between Russia and Ukraine. "Didn't do anything about it. Now he thinks he has this idea to bring peace. And what does he do? He bends the knee. His goal is to appease Putin."

Vindman agreed with Seat that the Biden administration didn't do enough to support Ukraine, but declared its Russia — not Ukraine — "on the ropes."

"The way you get peace is you get Putin to negotiate," he said.

The two didn't agree, however, and they continued talking over each other about when the conflict officially began.

The Russo-Ukrainian War began in February 2014 following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, which led to the ousting of pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych. Shortly thereafter, Russia occupied and annexed Crimea from Ukraine.

Watch the clip below or at this link.