‘That’s Wild!’ CNN’s Abby Phillip Stunned By Trump Fury At Allies Calling Out Racist Video
CNN anchor Abby Phillip was stunned to learn that President Donald Trump is so enraged at allies who called out his racist video post that he’s putting them on his “enemies list.”
Trump posted a video to his Truth Social account last week that contained an image depicting President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes:
The post drew widespread outrage including from Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and other Trump allies.
CNN White House sources say that Trump is raging privately about Scott and Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) for their perceived disloyalty, even saying that Britt is “dead to him.”
On Friday’s edition of CNN NewsNight, Phillip told her panel it was “wild” that Trump is angry about the flak from allies and not the racist video itself:
PHILLIP: Tonight, not letting go. Sources tell CNN that Donald Trump is privately lashing out at Republicans who publicly condemned a racist video he shared on social media that depicted the Obamas as apes, questioning their loyalty and even vowing consequences for them. Among those senators is Katie Britt, who Trump has declared is dead to him. Her office slammed that account as fake news.
And then there’s Senator Tim Scott, the Senate’s only black Republican, whose response Trump has privately claimed fueled nationwide attention to this story. One senior Trump administration official tells CNN that Trump felt that Scott could have handled the matter privately, adding quote, “He was like, we work together all the time. He didn’t need to comment publicly.” Now, Senator Scott’s office declined to comment. However, CNN’s intrepid reporters do have this reporting about it. It
says, “As the video was first gaining traction, Scott, who speaks to the President regularly, privately reached out at first, a source familiar said he was unable get a hold of the President so he took to X. That got Trump’s attention. He later called Scott, with whom he had a close personal relationship and told the South Carolina Republican he was planning to have his team remove the post.”
It is not true that Tim Scott is the reason that this blew up. The reason it blew up is because it was racist and it was posted on social media.
PARRISH: Yes, this is bad. I mean, full stop. This whole thing is bad. The video is bad. The President posting it is bad. The response that we’re seeing right now is bad.
UNKNOWN: And no apology.
PARRISH: Look, I put out a statement on this and summarizing is that what we saw in that video, it was gross and it was beneath the dignity of the Office of the President or any person who holds office in this country. As a matter of fact, even if you’re not in politics, that video was beneath the dignity that we should all interact with each other as Americans.
PHILLIP: What does that say about Trump though? That it’s not the fact that the racist video was posted, but the fact that people called him out for it, that he is — that is putting them on his enemies list. That’s wild!
KOH: I think what is most disturbing is the number of Republicans who didn’t condemn, right? It’s horrifying that in this day and age that even racism seems to be partisan these days.
Watch above via CNN NewsNight.
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