CNN’s Abby Phillip Steps In When Trump Fan Flips Out Over ICE ‘White Supremacist’ Recruiting ‘Propaganda’

CNN anchor Abby Phillip stepped in when pro-Trump reporter Brianna Lyman melted down over what she viewed as ICE agents being called “Nazi, Gestapo, and white supremacist,” explaining the charge was actually Nazi-echoing recruitment.

Amid unrest over the ICE killing of Renee Good, a CNN analysis found that various Trump agencies have used “coded” language echoing “Neo-Nazi” and “White Nationalist” rhetoric designed to appeal to White Nationalists.

On Thursday’s edition of CNN NewsNight, Lyman took offense when Charles Blow referenced the trend and accused him of callling ICE agents Nazis.

Phillip interrupted to correct her in an exchange that saw the host call a halt when the crosstalk became too heated:

CHARLES BLOW: They are recruiting them using Nazi, white supremacist propaganda hinting to that. And then people see that, people who don’t recognize it as Nazi or white supremacist, maybe they just join anyway. But the ones who do recognize it see that as a hint, the same kind of hint as the, as you know, stand back and stand by.

And then you put those people in the field, not — this is not people coming to Washington to protest. These are people being placed in my neighborhood doing horrible things to my neighbors. And when people respond to that, they say, now the problem we created, we will solve with more force. This is a horrible political play.

BRIANNA LYMAN: First of all, how dare you sit here and accuse ICE agents of being Nazi, Gestapo and white supremacist when they are —

BLOW: Is that what I said?

LYMAN: You just insinuated that they’re apparently recruiting others. You said they’re recruiting others and then it’s a dog whistle for others to then apply to that.

BLOW: Absolutely.

LYMAN: Second of all, the —

ABBY PHILLIP: Well, he’s — let me tell you what he’s referring to.

BLOW: But do you not believe that you didn’t see that?

PHILLIP: He’s referring to posts that have been put out on social media by DHS.

LYMAN: I’ve seen all the posts.

PHILLIP: And on the Department of Labor and on other accounts that have been traced back to white supremacist chat rooms, iconography. So —

(CROSSTALKS)

BLOW: Did you not see the one with George Washington?

PHILLIP: There’s plenty of stuff —

BLOW: Did you see the one with George Washington?

LYMAN: Which specific one?

BLOW: The one where they were using Nazi — hinting at Nazi phrasing over a picture of George Washington. Did you see it? Did you see it? You didn’t see it.

LYMAN: Well, what was the Nazi phrase then?

BLOW: You said you see it, but you didn’t see it.

(CROSSTALKS) PHILLIP: Everybody stop talking just a second. I don’t want to go down this cul-de-sac. All I was saying, just in response to your question, is that he wasn’t saying ICE agents are Nazis or whatever it is. He was saying that some of the iconography that has been used, and some of the phrases that have been used by DHS on social media people have linked back to very specific places where white supremacist ideology is utilized.

You can disagree with that, but that is what he’s talking about.

Watch above via CNN NewsNight.