‘That’s a Lie’: CNN’s Abby Phillip Calls Out Colleague Scott Jennings After Heated On Air Debate Over Venezuela

CNN anchor Abby Phillip accused conservative colleague Scott Jennings of lying in a social media post following a contentious on-air debate about Venezuela’s culpability in the U.S. drug war.

Last week, President Donald Trump announced that U.S. airstrikes had destroyed a sixth vessel he claimed was carrying fentanyl to the U.S. from Venezuela.

Phillip argued that Venezuela was not a major supplier of fentanyl, as Mexico was, and that the Trump administration’s real end-goal seemed to be getting rid of strong man Nicolás Maduro.

During Friday night’s show, Phillip said she thought it was “politically convenient to lay” the U.S. drug problem “at the feet of Venezuela.”

“But it also is not aligned with the facts,” She said, adding that Mexico was primarily responsible for the supply of illicit drugs, including fentanyl.

“But what is a problem is that Venezuela is a failed state that is run by a dictator,” Phillip said. “And if the agenda is to regime change and to get rid of a dictator, I’m sure…there are many Americans, Democrat and Republican, who support Maduro going bye-bye. But that should be what Trump says, not blaming it on drug trafficking.”

Jennings accused Phillip of downplaying the problem, causing her to repeat that fentanyl was coming from Mexico.

“My bigger point, Scott, is that this doesn’t seem to really be about the drugs. I think it’s about Maduro. And if it’s about Maduro, don’t you think Americans ought to know?”

“Well, they’re one in the same. He is a drug lord,” Jennings shot back.

Jennings posted to X over the weekend:

Trump: Maybe we shouldn’t let Venezuela send drugs & terrorists to the United States.

Nobody:

Absolutely nobody:

CNN: Come on Scott, is Venezuela really that bad?

Even I still get surprised sometimes.

His post prompted the Phillip rebuke:

Absolutely no one defended Venezuela’s regime at this table. That’s a lie.

Fentanyl is responsible for 70% of the drug overdose deaths in America. And 90% of it comes from Mexico, not Venezuela. Those are the facts.

Watch the clip above via CNN.