All posts tagged "abby phillip"

CNN anchor baffled by Trump's bizarre gaffe: 'What is he talking about?'

CNN's Abby Phillip was left baffled after President Donald Trump suggested a military intervention to tame turmoil in the bond market.

On CNN NewsNight, Phillip aired footage of Trump fielding reporters' questions about Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's bond market intervention. Bessent more than doubled the volume of U.S. bonds the department plans to buy back after yields climbed steadily since the start of the Iran war, reporting by Mediaite noted.

One reporter asked whether Trump had directed Bessent to step into the market.

"Not at all, no," the president said. "He's a very capable man. He wanted to do it. He's very good at it. He has a good touch, very good natural touch for the bonds and interest."

Another reporter asked if he considered "another type of intervention," which prompted an odd response from Trump.

"We have many types of intervention," Trump responded. "The ultimate intervention is our military. And if we have to use that, we will."

The remark stopped Phillip cold as she struggled to make sense of it, according to Mediaite.

"Not sure what that's about," she said. "He's going to sic the military on the bond market. What is he talking about?"

MeidasTouch reporter Adam Mockler admitted he was equally stumped, saying, "Uh, I don't know, honestly."

Higher yields raise borrowing costs across the economy and force the government to pay more interest on its debt, Mediaite noted. Even so, Trump has bristled at positive economic data, arguing days earlier that good news undercuts his push for lower rates.

"Every time I hear our country is doing well I say, 'That's too bad because they lift up interest rates,'" he said Wednesday. "They should drop interest rates because it means we have a strong country."

Trump went on to tout the country's borrowing position. "It's all based on credit, meaning good credit. And we have the best credit, and we pay off the debt very easily, very quickly," he said.

'Are you serious?': MAGA pundit baffles with head-spinning attack on Trump foe

A MAGA commentator turned an entire table full of pundits against him for his attack on a foe of President Donald Trump.

Terry Schilling went after columnist E. Jean Carroll while debating Trump's request for the Supreme Court to hear his case to overturn her defamation victory. Carroll won an $83.3 million suit against Trump and a federal appeal after Trump attacked her for claiming he sexually assaulted her.

Schilling defended Trump by calling Carroll's suit "lawfare," saying, "No other president has had this type of lawfare thrown against them."

However, the CNN panel around him quickly cast doubt on how he was using the term "lawfare." Democratic strategist Isaiah Martin asked, "What are you talking about?" and questioned, "lawfare? Are you serious?" Lawyer Marc LoPresti told Schilling that what he was saying "does not make sense."

The panel's host, Phillip, had to ask the panel to stop talking, repeating "hold on, hold on," as everyone piled on Schilling. She told Schilling he was misusing the term.

"My understanding of lawfare is this idea that it's the law, that is, the institution of government weaponizing the rule of law," Phillip explained. "This is a person who has an allegation against the president."

Schilling shifted to challenging Carroll's claims of sexual assault against Trump, saying, "I find E. Jean Carroll's claims to be crazy. I think she's kind of crazy."

Martin spoke up again, responding, "That's not what we're discussing."

"You might find it to be that," Phillip said. "But a jury didn't."

'Stop, my god': Fiery CNN debate breaks out with Trump loyalists over faces on money

A fiery debate broke out on a CNN panel after a Trump loyalist argued whose face belongs on money.

Members of a panel hosted by CNN anchor Abby Phillip reacted to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announcing that the Trump administration does not plan to put Harriet Tubman's face on the $20 bill. The Obama administration first revealed plans to immortalize the historical figure, who led slaves to freedom through the Underground Railroad, and the Biden administration revived those plans.

"Look, you put faces on money to commemorate American icons," Trump loyalist Brianna Lyman said. "There are only a limited number of bills, one, two, five, ten, 20, 100, fifty, so there has to be a very selective process."

She then argued in favor of the current face of the $20 bill, Andrew Jackson, who "saved the union during the Nullification Crisis. He was a war hero in 1815. He actually vetoed the second charter of the bank, which was seen at the time as a way to take power away from the rich and elites."

Phillip asked Lyman what the argument is against having Tubman on the $20 bill, and Lyman quickly shot back, "What's the argument for Harriet Tubman?"

"What's the argument for Harriet Tubman?" Phillip responded, seeming shocked. "Do we have to do a history lesson?"

Democratic strategist and former Kamala Harris campaign advisor Mike Nellis, who sat next to Lyman on the panel, threw his hands up and asked, "What's the argument for Donald Trump getting a $250 bill?"

Phillip argued, "If you're a conservative, you should love Harriet Tubman. She was a gun-toting abolitionist. She was an everyday American hero."

Nellis agreed, saying, "Harriet Tubman represents everything that Donald Trump is not, right? There's somebody who put her body on the line, who was a regular person."

Lyman interrupted, arguing, "Donald Trump was shot and nearly killed for trying to be president," to which Nellis reacted, "Oh, stop, my god."

Conservative radio host Jason Rantz, who was also on the panel, suggested putting Tubman on another bill, to which Phillip responded, "Put her on the $250!"

GOP podcaster ridiculed on CNN panel as his defense of Trump sons collapses

A CNN panel had a good laugh as a GOP pundit twisted himself in a "pretzel" defending the Trump family.

While discussing recent revelations about how much money Trump and his family made since returning to office last year, conservative podcaster Ben Ferguson had everyone around him in stitches.

Ferguson, the host of "The Ben Ferguson Show," argued that the Trump family isn't corrupt for its involvement in billion-dollar ventures involving cryptocurrency and tungsten mining because they were engaged in "actual business."

CNN anchor Abby Phillip, who described the Trump family as "real estate developers," shot back by asking, "What do the Trump sons know about mining rare earth minerals? What do the Trump sons know about robotics?"

Ferguson's response was, "A lot, clearly, they made a lot of money off of it because they actually invest in it."

The panel around him, which included political analyst and attorney Bakari Sellers, former Biden White House staffer Yemisi Egbewole, and former Bush White House official Ashley Davis, could be heard laughing together as Ferguson responded.

Sellers chimed in by remarking, "I do hot yoga, and I feel like you're doing a little hot yoga too for that pretzel you got yourself in," which led to Egbewole and Davis laughing more.

"The president makes $400,000 a year," Sellers pointed out. "This quarter, he's made over $1 billion on crypto alone...that fundamentally is unethical. You can call it what you want."

While Sellers mentioned Trump's presidential salary, Ferguson threw in one more defense: "he gives it all away," which also caused laughter around the table.

CNN anchor shuts down MAGA columnist's head-scratching warning about 'Chinese babies'

A fiery debate broke out between a CNN anchor and a MAGA-defending correspondent who warned about "Chinese babies."

CNN anchor Abby Phillip hosted a panel discussion about calls from MAGA to stop immigrants from having children in the United States. The MAGA line comes after the Supreme Court blocked Trump's effort to end birthright citizenship.

She had the panel react to a line from Trump legal adviser Mike Davis, where he called on the administration to shift its focus from mass deportations to "going to get these pregnant women the hell out of our country, women and women who could be pregnant."

Phillip called suggestions of changing birthright citizenship via an executive order "bad politics, bad optics, maybe both," when New York Post correspondent Lydia Moynihan stepped in to defend the MAGA point of view.

"We already know that foreign adversaries are exploiting this," Moynihan said. "There's been 1.5 million Chinese CCP babies who have been born on U.S. soil."

"I've never seen the number be that high," Phillip said. "Are you talking about Chinese nationals who have come here?"

"Yes," Moynihan said. "That's an issue that we know our foreign adversaries are exploiting."

"Do you realize that not all of them are here to give birth?" Phillip responded.

Moynihan continued on about how Chinese immigrants "exploit" birth tourism, and talked over Phillip, whom she accused of trying to "argue the numbers."

"You're saying all of the 1.5 million people of Chinese heritage are coming for the sole purpose of utilizing our social services?" Phillip asked, having to talk over Moynihan as she demanded, "Do you want people whose parents are CCP citizens, who grew up in China, to come here and vote?"

"There are plenty of people who have parents of foreign citizenship, who are American citizens and do in fact have the right to vote," Phillip responded. "They might be from China, they might be from Russia, they might be from England, they might be from anywhere in the world. That is not illegal, to have parents from another country."

'Nasty, nasty work': CNN panel recoils in disgust at MAGA attacks against SCOTUS justice

A panel of political analysts recoiled in disgust at MAGA attacks against a Supreme Court justice.

CNN anchor Abby Phillip shared online comments about Amy Coney Barrett in the wake of the Supreme Court decision to block Trump's efforts to kill birthright citizenship.

"Amy Coney Barrett is the poster child for why we need to repeal the Nineteenth Amendment," wrote West Virginia congressional candidate and convicted January 6er Derrick Evans, referring to the amendment that gives women the right to vote, in a post shared by Phillip.

"If Amy Coney Barrett really votes against ending birthright citizenship, we should begin to look into how to deport her Haitian child back to Haiti," far-right internet personality Joey Mannarino wrote.

Phillip also pointed out that Daily Wire podcaster Matt Walsh had changed his tune about Barrett compared to when he praised her appointment during the first Trump administration.

She added, "The attacks on Amy Coney Barrett have been, let me just be clear, sexist."

However, after Phillip finished by reading Mannarino's post, the panel reacted audibly. Prominent liberal political commentator and podcaster Adam Mockler could be heard making an "egh" sound. Democratic strategist Ashley Allison described it as "nasty, nasty work."

"There is a lot of vitriol coming out," Mockler said. "A lot of vitriol coming out, a lot of hypocrisy from conservatives, and I'm not surprised. I'm not surprised this party is having sexist attacks against her."

Mockler suggested it was a "top-down effort from Donald Trump to try to delegitimize the courts," and "spew bile and venom in politics."

He also pointed out that Marjorie Taylor Greene "had to leave politics due to the death threats that she was getting, so women in the Republican Party aren't treated well."

'Please stop': CNN panel teams up against shouting MAGA pundit mid-rant

Several members of a CNN panel tried to get a MAGA pundit to stop her "embarrassing" rant.

Former Trump White House staffer Caroline Sunshine took part in the panel, hosted by CNN anchor Abby Phillip. Most of the panel turned on Sunshine, however, when she started to defend the Trump administration from accusations of racism because it started accepting South African refugees while turning down refugees from other African nations.

"The United States has had an extremely generous refugee policy in regards to several African nations," Sunshine argued. "Now that South Africa is one of them, there's a problem. When was the problem when we were taking in millions from every other destabilized country?"

"You're being very obtuse, and it's embarrassing," shot back political commentator Leah McGowan.

Pollster and political strategist Josh Doss agreed, saying, "This is very deliberately obtuse."

Sunshine, whose jaw dropped, interrupted Doss to ask, "Can someone explain the Expropriation Act?" She was referring to a law that Trump condemned for supposedly taking land from White farmers when he gave South Africans refugee status.

"Stop," McGowan said. "Please stop."

Phillip then stepped in to fact-check Sunshine.

"What you're saying, that expropriation act, no property has been expropriated," Phillip said. "You know that, right?"

"No!" Sunshine responded. "That's not true."

"It is true," Phillip said. "No property has actually been expropriated, so you're talking about something that is basically hypothetical."

After speaking about apartheid in South Africa, Phillip then turned her attention to the Trump administration's plan to send Haitians who are losing temporary protected status back to Haiti.

"Meanwhile, we're saying to Americans, 'Don't go to Haiti because you might die,' but we want to send 350,000 asylum seekers essentially back to Haiti because Stephen Miller doesn't like them," Phillip said.

'It's not a joke': CNN pundits crack up while reading new detail in Trump tell-all

CNN pundits couldn't hold it together as they heard about a new detail in an upcoming tell-all about the Trump White House.

The upcoming book Regime Change, written by New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, detailed how Trump showed them a document that argued he was more powerful than historical strongmen like Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan, Napoleon, Stalin, Mao, and Hitler.

After a little digging, it turned out that the document wasn't written by a presidential historian like Trump claimed, but by Hall of Fame golfer Gary Player's long-time caddy, according to reports.

CNN anchor Abby Phillip explained as much to her pundits on Thursday, but she cracked up and couldn't get through the whole recap.

"It's not a joke," Phillip said as she laughed. "This actually happened."

Political commentator Xochitl Hinojosa and Democratic former congressional candidate Isaiah Martin couldn't contain themselves either and laughed out loud alongside Phillip.

"This is the president of the United States," Hinojosa said, covering her face.

Hinojosa admitted, "It is scary that he is comparing himself [to those figures]. He has unlimited power. He is essentially saying that he is a lot like a dictator." She did find consolation in describing Trump as a historically unpopular president, though.

"He can try to say in his head that he is the most powerful, that he is like a dictator, that he has all the power in the world," Hinojosa said. "But the reality is that this man is going to go down as probably one of the least popular presidents."

CNN anchor laughs in Scott Jennings' face as his Trump Kennedy Center defense collapses

Conservative CNN pundit Scott Jennings embarrassingly lost his attempt to defend Trump as his name came off the Kennedy Center.

"Are we upset that the president of the United States took an interest in the Kennedy Center?" Jennings asked while on a CNN roundtable.

"A lot of people are upset about that, yes," CNN host Abby Phillip responded.

"Why?" Jennings followed up before taking a shot at Trump opponents. "They've never been able to stand the fact that Donald Trump won the White House the first time, and especially the second time."

Phillip quickly countered Jennings' argument by pointing out why people are really upset about Trump's attempted renaming.

"How about Congress established the Kennedy Center as a memorial for John F. Kennedy, and that it is illegal for him to slap his name on it?" Phillip said. "That is why people are upset about it."

Jennings tried to hold up his argument, though.

"But here's the deal, he took an interest in this," Jennings said, referring to Trump.

"What about the laws, Scott?" Phillip asked.

"What about it?" Jennings shot back.

Phillip laughed as soon as Jennings said that, but he kept on going.

"Who cares?" he insisted. "These haters stand out on the street screeching about a name."

"Wow, haters," journalist Cari Champion reacted. "Unbelievable."

'Unmistakably extraordinary': CNN hosts gush over Obamas after powerful DNC speeches

CNN anchors Dana Bash and Abby Phillip lauded Barack and Michelle Obama following their powerful speeches at the Democratic National Convention.

Talking with the two after the pair of speeches, fellow anchor Jake Tapper noted that the Obamas celebrated Harris and the convention, but that it's time for Democrats to get to work.

"Both of them were giving the unmistakable message to the crowd: yes, this is fun. We're having a great time. This is very exciting. But this is not what the next 77 days are going to look like," said Tapper, paraphrasing the Obamas with a laugh. "This is going to be tough. Your candidates are going to make mistakes. The other side is going to fight like hell."

Bash agreed with Tapper, noting that both spoke to the Democratic base, the energized grassroots, but also to swing voters, undecided voters and Ronald Reagan-era Republicans.

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She praised Barack Obama as "unmistakably extraordinary."

"There's no Republican who would say anything different," she said. But it was Michelle who seemed to land even better with the audience.

"When Michelle Obama was speaking," she said, looking over to Phillip, "we were talking — we couldn't hear."

Phillip echoed Bash's remark.

"That was the loudest this arena had gotten," Phillip said.

"This place was going absolutely nuts," added Bash, particularly over one line that Michelle Obama said.

"When she talked about the fact that he dislikes them effectively for one reason," said Bash. "And that is because they are Black. That's effectively what she said."

Michelle "twisted the knife" when she said they have the "Black jobs," added Bash.

Phillip called the Obamas "two of the best players in politics right now."

"Two people who can speak in ways that almost no one else in the party can speak," she said. "Particularly Michelle Obama. That speech really electrified this arena. I don't even think Barack Obama — no offense to him, his speech was excellent — it was not received in the same way. I think we just have to be honest by that."