CNN Anchor Shoots Down Trump Fans in Fracas Over Indictment Spree: ‘That Was an Order’

CNN anchor Abby Phillip shut down Trump supporters over President Donald Trump directing his Justice Department to indict specific individuals, shooting down claims made in Trump’s defense.

Former FBI Director James Comey and New York AG Letitia James were each indicted shortly after Trump publicly pressured Attorney General Pam Bondi to go after a list of enemies in a DM-style Truth Social post and again in remarks to reporters.

Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) was the third person named on that list and has yet to be indicted — but he is protected by a pardon from then-President Joe Biden.

On Monday’s edition of CNN NewsNight, Phillip hosted a panel comprised of Scott Jennings, Cornell West, Caroline Downey, Adam Mockler, and Josh Rogin.

When the Trump defenders on the panel tried to defend Trump’s actions as benign or assert that Biden did the same thing, Phillip repeatedly shot them down:

MOCKLER: Are you telling me that you’re okay with Donald Trump asking Pam Bondi directly — it was supposed to be a D.M., and he accidentally posted it. Don’t just come on that.

JENNINGS: All presidents appoint their supporters and the people who support their agenda.

MOCKLER: Do they ask their supporters to indict three people and two of those —

(CROSSTALKS)

JENNINGS: They’re members of Congress in their party to pass their agenda.

MOCKLER: This is dishonest.

JENNINGS: Whether if you have the party of your — if your party is in charge in Congress, they look to the president to set the agenda for the party. After all in the elections, people who turn out to vote are typically voting.

MOCKLER: So, Biden never recognized his DOJ, and that’s what you’re saying? Biden never asked —

JENNINGS: No, he absolutely did.

MOCKLER: When did he ask Merrick Garland?

DOWNEY: You want to talk about lawfare —

MOCKLER: When did he ask Merrick Garland to go after someone? Trump sent a D.M. to Pam Bondi. This is unprecedented.

DOWNEY: The Merrick Garland who sent the parental rights memo that basically demonized parents that protested at school board meeting?

MOCKLER: I’m going to ask you a simple question. When did Biden ask him to do that?

DOWNEY: Garland collaborated with Biden to send that memo —

MOCKLER: When did Biden directly ask him to do that?

DOWNEY: Weaponizing the FBI and law enforcement to —

PHILLIP: Biden — Garland collaborated with Biden?

DOWNEY: With the Biden administration, yes.

PHILLIP: Okay.

MOCKLER: That was their policy.

JENNINGS: I mean, it was the administration’s policy.

PHILLIP: I think that Adam’s question, and it’s a question, I guess, we — apparently this comes up on the show every other day, is where is the evidence that that was directed by the White House? Where’s the evidence that it was directed? And I’m going to broaden it, like not just the president, because you could argue that if you’re going to compare apples to apples, the direction needs to come from the president, but from the White House. Where’s the evidence of that?

JENNINGS: Where’s the evidence they disagreed with it? Is this not his administration policy?

MOCKLER: Disagreeing with it is not a crime.

PHILLIP: That’s a totally different —

JENNINGS: Is it not his not policy? Was it not his administration’s policy?

PHILLIP: Where is the evidence that it was —

JENNINGS: Where is the evidence that he wasn’t happy with his own administration’s policy?

PHILLIP: Hold on a second, Scott. I actually think that’s a really important point. Because whether it is agreement or disagreement, both of those things would be involving themselves in what’s going on at DOJ in a way that most presidents don’t and that Donald Trump is. So, whether or not they said do this or don’t do that, both of those things would actually be off limits in a world in which DOJ is allowed to pursue — in which world in which DOJ’s allowed to pursue the rule of law.

JENNINGS: If Biden was mad about Merrick Garland going after ordinary parents, he could have put a stop to it.

PHILLIP: But, Scott, do you think that the president should be engaged one way or another, saying affirmatively or saying negatively what about what the DOJ is doing?

JENNINGS: I have told you many times, I think it’s fine for the president to express opinions about how his administration operates.

MOCKLER: He directly asks —

(CROSSTALKS)

PHILLIP: I think that this is super important because Adam’s making an important point. Trump said, you’re not doing your job. In fact, he said something very similar just the other day. I mean, you are not doing your job. He called out three names. Two of those people have been indicted. So, that’s more than just expressing an opinion. That was an order.

JENNINGS: It is extraordinarily naive to believe that the Biden department operated as some disembodied floating —

(CROSSTALKS)

DOWNEY: Those are his departments.

PHILLIP: All right, go ahead.

WEST: The problem is, especially, Brother Scott, though, man, if one side is doing something immoral, all you’re going to do is point out what the other side did that was immoral?

JENNINGS: What is immoral?

MOCKLER: There’s no indication there.

JENNINGS: Tell me what’s immoral?

WEST: The violation of constitutional separation of sites and spheres, that if one party is weaponizing, you say the other party is weaponizing.

MOCKLER: I love watching the conservatives on this panel.

WEST: So, we never get beyond any kind of immorality, we just rationalize more immorality, concentration of power, and you end up (INAUDIBLE) sort of fascism. That’s how you end up with fascism, no morality, whatsoever.

PHILLIP: You guys have proof of your allegations of weaponization, which I’ve heard none so far at this table.

Watch above via CNN NewsNight.