Abby Phillip Challenges Pro-Trump Panelists: ‘How About You Guys Actually Deal With Reality?’

CNN host Abby Phillip hammered supporters of President Donald Trump’s attitude towards Iran on Tuesday, asking former gubernatorial candidate Chris Madel and CNN’s Scott Jennings to “actually deal with reality.”

The panelists joined Phillip on NewsNight to discuss President Donald Trump’s war with Iran and his announcement on Tuesday of a two week ceasefire after his previous threats to bomb civilian targets in Iran if a deal was not reached by 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Jennings said that the most important element of the deal to watch was the future of Iran’s nuclear program, claiming that was the purpose for the conflict initially.

“The president drew a red line. They will never get a nuclear weapon. That’s why we were doing this, along with taking away their ability to export terror, the missile program, the aggressive Navy,” he said.

Later in the segment, Madel referenced Jennings point, telling the group that the U.S. had severely degraded Iran’s military capacity. Phillip pointed to the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz, claiming that despite the U.S. military wins, the conflict was far from settled.

Read their exchange below:

MADEL: Let’s not really forget what Scott’s point was though here. And I agree with you when we’re talking about messaging, you cannot possibly argue right now it has changed from day to day to day to day. But, let’s just one time in our history, in our recent history, let’s look at the long game for once. This is a country right now, one of the most evil nation states that has been on the planet. It has been severely degraded with respect to its nuclear capability. It has been severely degraded with respect to its missile capability. Its army has been severely degraded. When they talk about trying to keep the Strait of Hormuz, that we’re going to keep it closed with their military, what navy? There is no Iranian navy.

PHILLIP: But they’re not keeping it closed with their navy. That’s not what they’re using.

MADEL: For once, look at the long game here. We have made this region–

PHILLIP: But Chris–

MADEL: We’ve made this place a safer place.

PHILLIP: But hold on, Chris. The thing that counters–

[CROSSTALK]

PHILLIP: The thing that counters your point is that the Strait of Hormuz right now, as we speak, is closed.

MADEL: It is.

PHILLIP: So if you’re saying that all the things that we have done, they have no power to close the Strait, then why is it closed?

MADEL: We are talking about a very temporary situation right now.

PHILLIP: Okay, well–

MADEL: Do you think that this is going to continue forever?

PHILLIP: Five weeks–

MADEL: Really, Abbey?

PHILLIP: Five– well, hold on–

MADEL: I mean, honestly, we have the strongest military in the world.

PHILLIP: But let’s actually–

MADEL: We can take that Strait of Hormuz anytime we–

PHILLIP: But let’s actually contemplate what you’re saying.

[CROSSTALK]

MADEL: But, I’m trying to look at the long game here.

PHILLIP: But Chris, five weeks into this–

MADEL: If we’re looking at the long game–

PHILLIP: Chris, hold on–

JENNINGS: This is being argued, it’s heads I win, tails you lose. That’s how this is.

PHILLIP: Well, Scott, how about you– how about you–

[CROSSTALK]

PHILLIP: Hold on a second. Hold on a second. Hold on a second. How about you guys actually deal with reality? Five weeks into this–

JENNINGS: That’s what we’re asking you.

PHILLIP: Hold on. No, no, let me just ask you a quick question. Five weeks into this war, Iran’s military has been decimated. Nobody disagrees with that. Okay, it’s Navy decimated. All of that. Five weeks into this war, first question, why is the Strait of Hormuz closed?

JENNINGS: It’s closed because they’re choosing to harass people going through.

[CROSSTALK]

PHILLIP: It’s closed. It’s closed. You agree that Iran is keeping it. The United States has threatened to use force to reopen it? We have not. Why have we not done it?

JENNINGS: Well, the president asked international coalition to come in and deal with this. And 40 countries met about it last week at the direction of Great Britain.

PHILLIP: He’s also said we don’t need them. He said we could do it ourselves. Why haven’t we done it?

JENNINGS: He’s also asked an international coalition to show up and deal with it, and they’re doing it.

PHILLIP: You’re not answering my question. Why haven’t we done it?

JENNINGS: Because he wants other countries to take some responsibility for it.

PHILLIP: Okay, so long term, short term, however you look at it, Iran has successfully, from a point of profound weakness, been able to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed, and the reason that we are in this moment where the prsident is negotiating on their ten point plan is because it is so important to him that that Strait be reopened.

Watch above via CNN.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!