CNN’s Abby Phillip Hits Geraldo With Trump Receipt in Brawl Over Gerrymander

CNN anchor Abby Phillip hit former Trump pal Geraldo Rivera with a video receipt from President Donald Trump in a brawl over the Democratic gerrymandering victory.

Virginia Democrats won a ballot initiative Tuesday night that was the latest skirmish in a battle over redistricting that Fox’s Ari Fleischer noted was touched off by Trump pushing red states to redraw maps in the GOP’s favor.

On Tuesday’s edition of CNN NewsNight, Phillip hosted a panel that included Ashley Allison, Jason Rantz, Justin Pearson, Lauren Wright, and Rivera.

PHILLIP: So, wait, Geraldo, are you saying that you don’t think that Trump starting this is a good enough rationale for Democrats to finish it?

RIVERA: I do not think so. I think that gerrymandering is a cancer on politics. I don’t understand how it made it into the Constitution. I fret about that, or the Supreme Court. I think that if you can manipulate the borders of a vote just to get a vote and it deprives the people who don’t get the vote of their constitutional rights, I think it’s really obscene. It’s as if you were playing in a baseball game and one side starts with three extra runs. It’s just —

PHILLIP: Yes. I mean, I think, honestly —

RIVERA: And we should bust the chops of all of the people.

PHILLIP: I think most Americans would totally agree with that. But let me just play — I mean, this is to what Ashley was talking about. This is Trump talking about what started this mid-decade redistricting effort back in July of 2025.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: On Texas, how many more seats do you want the Republicans to draw?

TRUMP: Five.

REPORTER: And then what if California, New York, Illinois, and other blue states decide to do this?

TRUMP: Yes. Well, that’s okay, too, but five. I think we get five, and there could be some other states. We’re going to get another three or four or five in addition. Texas would be the biggest one, and that’ll be five.

REPORTER: So, are you calling in for a complete redrawing of the Congressional map ahead of next year?

TRUMP: No, just a very simple redrawing. We pick up five seats.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIP: He actually said there, you might have missed it, he said — he was asked if California and other states did it. He said, that’s okay, too.

Watch above via CNN NewsNight.

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