CNN’s Abby Phillip Steps In When Trump Fan Makes Random Anti-Trans Jab: ‘Let’s Not Get Derailed’

CNN anchor Abby Phillip stepped in when a pro-Trump panelist interrupted a conversation about voter ID laws to make a random anti-trans jab, instructing her to “stay on the point.”

The so-called SAVE Act — which just passed the House of Representatives by a 218 – 213 with only one Democrat joining Republicans — has taken heated criticism from civil rights groups and others.

Chief among the complaints is that tens of millions of voters don’t have access to or would have difficulty accessing the specific types of ID required. Women and Black voters, among others, are much more likely to be affected.

On Thursday’s edition of CNN NewsNight, Phillip discussed the issue with a panel comprised of Bakari Sellers, Joe Borelli, Tiffany Cross, Lydia Moynihan, and Judge Glenda Hatchett.

Cross and Phillip objected when Moynihan interrupted Cross to make a crack about transgender issues:

PHILLIP: The Trump administration has already asked for voter records from a bunch of states. They got 50 million voter records. These are largely Republican states where they’ve got voter ID. They looked at the records and guess what they found? They found almost no actual evidence of fraud.

However, even in their — even if you — let’s just take what they did find, out of 50 million records, they found 10,000 that raised flags. So, even in the states where there’s voter ID, they’re still finding flags, not proof of fraud. But it’s also when they look even deeper, a lot of times these are false flags. These are people who actually are registered properly to vote that the system is flagging.

(CROSSTALK)

BORELLI: Abby, don’t say that.

PHILLIP: So, the Trump administration has had a whole year to look at this. They’ve looked, 50 million records, they found virtually nothing, 0.02 percent of something that is anomalous, not even fraud.

BORELLI: But just answer one question. If someone doesn’t have an ID under the SAVE Act, are they permitted to vote affidavit? Via an affidavit? Are they permitted to vote? Can they vote?

PHILLIP: But Joe —

BORELLI: The answer is yes. This is so overblown. If someone cannot produce the ID, they can go to their website and vote affidavit.

(CROSSTALK)

TIFFANY CROSS, AUTHOR, “LOVE ME”: It is not overblown. Okay, I — Joe, respectfully, I don’t even think you have the command of the issue.

BORELLI: I’m pretty sure I do.

CROSS: You’re talking about voter ID and we’re talking about the SAVE Act specifically.

BORELLI: If you don’t have the qualification to vote under the SAVE you can vote via affidavit.

CROSS: We’ve heard lot from you, so let me just try to weigh in.

BORELLI: Okay, sure, yes. Go ahead.

CROSS: Less than half of the American people have what it would take to comply with —

BORELLI: That’s the problem. You got it figured out. Yes.

CROSS: That is a huge problem, exactly. So, when you think about married women, like we were talking about during the break, they changed their last name when they married —

MOYNIHAN: Democrats can’t even define what a woman is.

CROSS: Let me finish. Let me have the professional — now we’re talking about trans. This is ridiculous! Let me have the professional courtesy to finish my point.

MOYNIHAN: I’d like to hear their concern on that.

PHILLIP: OK, let’s not get derailed. Let’s stay on the point!

CROSS: Yes, please. Thank you. Anyway, this is a problem that is in search — or a solution that’s in search of a problem. There is not some outpouring of undocumented immigrants trying to vote. And that’s what this is all about. If more than half of your people do not have the documents to support this act, it is clearly an intimidation tactic.

We heard from Donald Trump talking about nationalizing elections. We’ve heard from Steve Bannon, who went to prison, Trump’s advisor, saying they’re going to have ICE patrols at election points. All of this is meant to limit the amount of people to vote.

To Abby’s point, if you wanted to ensure every American could vote, then the government, who we should expect things from our government, not about what the government expects from us.

Watch above via CNN NewsNight.

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