What To Know
- The CNN NewsNight panel became heated as members debated whether it was fair to prejudge President Trump’s upcoming speech.
- Republican Joe Borelli argued against assuming the speech would be misleading.
- Host Abby Phillip and commentator Scott Jennings also clashed over the issue of alleged foreign interference.
CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip broke into a shouting match on Tuesday (July 14) as the panel discussed what President Donald Trump would address in his upcoming speech.
Former Republican New York City Council member Joe Borelli told his fellow panelists not to prejudge the president’s speech, which is reportedly set to tackle election security. “Why are we presupposing that whatever the president says [is wrong]?” he said.
“Whether it’s evidence or it’s opinion or there’s some new evidence that a foreign government tried to hack our elections, why are we presupposing what the [Department of Justice], what the president, what the White House is saying is false?” Borelli continued. “There’s a reason that we’re at a big news program here, prejudging.”
Democratic strategist Ashley Allison interjected, telling Borelli, “Because people have looked and they have found nothing, we’re not prejudging, we’re actually reading facts.”
“No, no, you don’t know what he’s going to say!” Borelli fired back. “You don’t know the evidence.”
“He told us!” Allison shouted.
“You’ve already decided that it’s wrong,” Borelli continued.
“No! Oh my god, like, can you hear?” Allison retorted.
“[Trump] said nothing about what they’re going to talk about on Thursday night,” Borelli added.
“Okay, great, if he doesn’t talk about the election, fine,” Allison replied. “I’ll wait!”
Borelli went on to say that it’s possible Trump could provide evidence of “fraud or some kind of corruption in elections.”
Phillip then chimed in, asking, “Evidence of what exactly? What evidence is he going to present about the election that he lost?”
Conservative commentator Scott Jennings said he agreed with Borelli that, “It’s not good to prejudge a speech that hasn’t been made yet.”
Phillip and Jennings then got into it about claims of alleged “foreign interference” in U.S. elections.
You can watch the heated segment in the video above and let us know your thoughts below.
CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip, Weeknights, 11/10 c, CNN