‘You Damn Well Know That!’ DNC Vice Chair David Hogg Throws Down With Ex-RNC Chair Reince Priebus on Abrego Garcia Case

DNC Vice Chair David Hogg — who has fast become a lightning rod among the old guard in both parties — got into it on Sunday morning with a former Republican party chairman about the future of the Democratic party, and the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

At the outset of a panel discussion on ABC’s This Week, Hogg defended his plan to target moderate Congressional Democrats in safe blue districts — in an effort to replace them with more far-Left representatives. The plan has drawn scorn from James Carville (who called Hogg “a contemptible little twerp”) and others on the Left.

“I think it’s going to be a hell of a lot harder for us to beat Republicans with a 27 percent approval rating,” Hogg told ABC’s Jon Karl, and his fellow This Week panelists. “We cannot simply go out there and say, look, guys, we’re not Donald Trump. Vote for us. We need to show people the way that Democrats fight for democracy is by using democracy to revive the American dream, to help combat the rising costs of health care, of housing, of eldercare, of child care and education, and, and making sure that we remember that our young people in particular, they are losing faith in our democracy and people of all ages because they feel the American dream does not exist for them anymore. And the answer to that is using democracy with courageous Democrats that actually want to fight back against what’s happening.”

Former RNC chair Reince Priebus proceeded to challenge Hogg

“Unfortunately, David, I’d have you removed from the party,” Preibus said. “Because I think, number one, I think you’re sincere. I don’t question that. I think you’re right. The Democrats are a complete mess. They have no movement.

“I don’t think that’s exactly what he said,” Karl said — interjecting.

“Well, he said they’ve got no message,” Priebus replied. “They’ve got no movement. They’ve got no leader. I mean, it doesn’t get any worse than that.”

The ex-RNC leader told Hogg, “You’re taking $20 million, if I’m looking at someone, my vice chair, the RNC taking $20 million for another effort, it’s $20 million out of the DNC’s pocket. You can’t be on the board of the fishing and forest company and on Greenpeace at the same time.”

At one point in his broader criticism of the Democrats, Priebus blasted the party for “traveling to El Salvador for MS-13 gang members.” Hogg went back at Priebus on that point.

“This was not an MS-13 gang member and you damn well know that!” Hogg said.

“Oh come on!” Priebus shot back.

“He was not!” Hogg said.

“Keep defending this guy,” Priebus replied. “You’re just digging your own hole.”

“We are a land of law and order, and this administration is repeatedly showing time and time again, they do not care about what the Supreme Court says,” Hogg said. “They do not care about the rule of law. And you cannot defend sending people to another country where they don’t have rights.”

“He’s here illegally,” Priebus said. “The Intel community — every Intel community agency and the White House say he is a member of MS-13.”

Abrego Garcia has never been charged with being a member of the gang.

Watch above, via ABC.