CNN’s Abby Phillip Steps in to Fact-Check Kevin O’Leary: ‘She’s Making a Legitimate Point’

CNN anchor Abby Phillip stepped in to fact-check prominent Trump ally Kevin O’Leary as he and political consultant Tezlyn Figaro got heated about prison reform, telling him “We’re getting derailed.”

On Monday’s edition of CNN NewsNight, Phillip hosted a panel that included Leigh McGowan, Kevin O’Leary, Tezlyn Figaro, Lydia Moynihan, and Elie Honig.

What began as a discussion about the detention of individuals under President Donald Trump’s deportation crackdown took a detour into the due process rights of citizens.

Things got heated when O’Leary began interrupting, including a little bit of hand-fighting and a warning from Figaro that “We’re really about to go there!”

Phillip interceded and told O’Leary that Figaro was “making a legitimate point”:

TEZLYN FIGARO: I just want to stop pretending like we just treat everybody so well, you know, in our prison system, including, you know, those who are American citizens. There’s a documentary right now, you know, about the Alabama inmates, I’m sure you’ve seen on how they’re being treated, you know, within our facilities. Let’s stop acting like there’s not something called the — (CROSSTALK)

KEVIN O’LEARY: You mean American citizens that break the law and go to prison?

(CROSSTALK)

FIGARO: Yes, American citizens.

(CROSSTALK)

FIGARO: No, everybody doesn’t always break the law and go to prison. See, that’s where you’ve been so focused on the Dow, and haven’t been focused on what’s actually happening.

O’LEARY: No, no. I’m focused on breaking the law.

FIGARO: No, no. And I’m focused on something called —

O’LEARY: You shouldn’t break the law if you want to stay out of prison.

FIGARO: — due process and focused on people who get incarcerated before they’re actually found guilty. Something called — where people can’t afford bail.

(CROSSTALK)

O’LEARY: So, you approve that if somebody murders and they shouldn’t go to prison.

FIGARO: No, I didn’t say that. I didn’t say nothing about no murder. Here you go again picking up —

(CROSSTALK)

O’LEARY: How about that? You said break the law.

(CROSSTALK)

FIGARO: Well, I’ll give you a real-time —

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIP: All right, let me just let Tezlyn finish —

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIP: We’re almost out of time.

(CROSSTALK)

FIGARO: I said that — everybody don’t break the law and just go to prison. It don’t work that way. It may work that way. Yes they absolutely do.

O’LEARY: They go to trial first.

FIGARO: Breaking news. No, No, no they don’t. See that’s where you’re getting confused.

O’LEARY: We’re not in America anymore.

FIGARO: That’s right. Now you finally got a round of applause. Now you —

(CROSSTALK)

FIGARO: The country that I’ve been living in and my ancestors have been in —

(CROSSTALK)

O’LEARY: Show me — that is not how America works.

FIGARO: I would say that’s how it worked for you. That’s how it worked for you.

(CROSSTALK)

ABBY PHILLIP: Hang on a second.

(CROSSTALK)

FIGARO: Well, it hasn’t worked for you. See, that’s the system that has worked for you. That’s not the system that has worked for me.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIP: All right. Kevin, hang on a second.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIP: Kevin, hang on a second.

(CROSSTALK)

FIGARO: We are getting derailed. Just a second.

(CROSSTALK)

FIGARO: We’re getting derailed and we’re really about to go there. So, let’s —

PHILLIP: All right, we’re just talking about — we’re talking about a lot of things here, okay? She’s making a legitimate point that some people stay in prison even when they’re not having a trial and that’s a controversial issue.

O’LEARY: You don’t want to go to prison? Don’t break the law.

PHILLIP: Okay.

FIGARO: See, this is where he —

PHILLIP: It’s called innocent until proven guilty. That is the principle —

(CROSSTALK)

O’LEARY: And you get a trial in America.

Watch above via CNN NewsNight.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!