CNN Panel Spirals as Trump Loyalist Questions Harriet Tubman’s Place on $20 Bill: ‘My God!’

A heated CNN NewsNight panel spiraled out of control on Tuesday night after a debate over who belongs on U.S. currency escalated into a clash over President Donald Trump and abolitionist hero Harriet Tubman.

The exchange unfolded after host Abby Phillip noted that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed the Trump administration does not intend to move forward with plans to place Tubman on the $20 bill. The proposal was first announced during the Obama administration.

Defending the administration’s position, Trump supporter Brianna Lyman argued that portraits on U.S. currency should be reserved for a select group of historical figures.

“Look, you put faces on money to commemorate American icons,” Lyman said. “There are only a limited number of bills, one, two, five, ten, 20, 100, fifty, so there has to be a very selective process.”

She added: “And Harriet Tubman absolutely deserves recognition, which she has recognition already. But I do think that the burden is put on Democrats to explain why Harriet Tubman, first of all, out of every option.”

She then made the case for keeping President Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill, arguing that he “saved the union during the Nullification Crisis.”

“He was a war hero in 1815. He actually vetoed the second charter of the bank, which was seen at the time as a way to take power away from the rich and elites,” she said.

Phillip pressed Lyman on why Tubman should not replace Jackson.

“What’s the argument against having Tubman on the $20 bill?” Phillip asked.

Lyman immediately replied: “What’s the argument for Harriet Tubman?”

A visibly stunned Phillip repeated Lyman’s line back: “‘What’s the argument for Harriet Tubman?’ Do we have to do a history lesson?”

As Lyman jousted, the host laid down her case: “Because I think she represents the importance of regular people in this country, taking justice and history in their own hands and doing the right thing. At a time when–”

“If you’re a conservative, you should love Harriet Tubman. She was a gun-toting abolitionist. She was an everyday American hero,” Phillip argued.

Conservative radio host Jason Rantz then intervened, arguing: “I think in fairness, I don’t hear conservatives saying she does not deserve any kind of recognition.”

“The argument is about the replacement of Andrew Jackson,” he said. “That was the initial argument, and that was why there was pushback initially. Put [Tubman] on a new bill, I don’t care. I mean, I don’t. Put her on the $250 [bill] – I would be OK with that.”

Phillip questioned why there was a recent proposal from some Trump allies to honor the president on a new denomination.

“It’s not going to happen. I don’t think it should. I think it was stupid for them to even have this conversation. I get that Harriet Tubman is deserving of something – 100%! Put it on a new bill,” Rantz said. “This idea that we’re going to suddenly just remove people from tender for political reasons, for historical – whatever the reason is – you just open up a slippery slope. Why specific to Jackson? Why not Washington? Why? But you can make these arguments forever. So why don’t we just be respectful and say a new bill?”

The exchange prompted Democratic strategist and ex-Kamala Harris campaign adviser Mike Nellis to intervene.

“Look, I mean, Harriet Tubman represents everything that Donald Trump is not. Right? There’s somebody who put her body on the line who was a regular person,” he began.

Lyman interrupted to defend Trump, saying, “Donald Trump was shot and nearly killed for trying to be president.”

“Oh, stop, I mean, my God,” Nellis raged. “OK, well, you should talk to the MAGA folks who don’t believe the Butler was real, but that’s a different conversation.”

“Do you believe that it’s not real?” Rantz cut in, as Lyman fumed at Nellis’ point.

Nellis said he did believe it was real, continuing with his point: “Instead of making it about something else.”

“I mean, Harriet Tubman put her life and her body on the line. She deserves recognition. Donald Trump is desperate for some type of cultural relevancy. He’s putting his name on everything. He put his name on our passports this year. He’s putting his face on the dollar bill,” he continued.

“It’s disgusting,” Nellis concluded.

Watch above via CNN.

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