CNBC Anchor Slams Table in Trump Brawl With Buttigieg — Triggered by ‘Chickened Out’ Claim

Pro-Trump CNBC host Joe Kernen was triggered when former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg accused President Donald Trump of “chickening out” during a debate over the Iran War, slamming the table after the accusation.

Buttigieg — or Secretary Pete, as he is known to many — was a guest on Friday morning’s edition of CNBC’s Squawk Box, during which he and Kernen tangled over the war. Kernen — who has been open about his support for Trump — grew increasingly frustrated, even slamming the table twice:

FMR. SECRETARY PETE BUTTIGIEG: And last year, the president assured us that he ended their nuclear ambitions. If he wants to come clean with the American people, that he failed to do that, then he has to say that before he launches a war.

CNBC HOST JOE KERNEN: Democrats at that, that–.

Democrats at that time said, no, you haven’t, and then you haven’t– Clearly he hadn’t. Clearly that he hadn’t, so then we needed to go back and take care of it, unless you really think it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.

FMR. SECRETARY PETE BUTTIGIEG: But again, they don’t have a weapon, they weren’t about to get a nuclear weapons.

CNBC HOST JOE KERNEN: Why do you keep saying they weren’t about to get one? Steve Witkoff said they had enough fissable material for 11 bombs.

FMR. SECRETARY PETE BUTTIGIEG: So you are acknowledging the president lied when he said that their program was obliterated–

CNBC HOST JOE KERNEN: I don’t know what, no one knew what happened at –.

FMR. SECRETARY PETE BUTTIGIEG: Well, either he didn’t know or he was lying, which is it?

CNBC HOST JOE KERNEN: Is that really the point, whether or not he’s…

FMR. SECRETARY PETE BUTTIGIEG: No, the point is that my neighbors in Michigan and paying more for gas.

CNBC HOST JOE KERNEN: Whether or not we knew it was obliterated or not is not the point. If it wasn’t obliterate, then you have to do something. You can’t go back and say, well, you lied about this, so that we can’t, now we can actually do what we need to do.

FMR. SECRETARY PETE BUTTIGIEG: Joe– Joe– Joe– America is weaker, because the president launched this war.

CNBC HOST JOE KERNEN: Well, that’s your opinion.

FMR. SECRETARY PETE BUTTIGIEG: No, no, but it’s clear. And I’ll tell you why. Because when Trump…

CNBC HOST JOE KERNEN: We had the secretary of NATO say the world is a safer place, he just said that yesterday.

FMR. SECRETARY PETE BUTTIGIEG: His job is to butter up the president, but why do you think the president chickened out on his demand?

CNBC HOST JOE KERNEN: SLAMS TABLE.

FMR. SECRETARY PETE BUTTIGIEG: Why do you the president backed off of his demand? The president said…

CNBC HOST JOE KERNEN: Backed off of which demand?

FMR. SECRETARY PETE BUTTIGIEG: Unconditional surrender. Right now, instead of unconditional surrender, which was the president’s demand just one month…

CNBC HOST JOE KERNEN: This is not over yet, number one.

FMR. SECRETARY PETE BUTTIGIEG: Is this unconditional surrender?

CNBC HOST JOE KERNEN: I don’t know what it’s gonna end up being. I’ll tell you what we’ve got. If the straight reopens again, and they have no navy–.

FMR. SECRETARY PETE BUTTIGIEG: So the best-case scenario is the Strait being open. The Strait was open before he started.

Watch above via CNBC’s Squawk Box.

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