CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Draws Bitter Complaint When She Fact-Checks MAGA Rep On Air — With Receipts

CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins drew a bitter complaint when she fact-checked a pro-Trump state legislator live on the air — and presented video receipts.

In the weeks since Trump began calling for Texas and other states to enact redistricting plans that would give Republicans more seats in the House of Representatives, the Texas state legislature has quickly moved to act on Trump’s plan. Democrats responded by fleeing the state to deny the GOP a quorum, and Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) has ordered them arrested.

Collins hosted State Rep. Brian Harrison (R-TX) on Monday night’s edition of CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins to talk about the latest developments.

But things took a turn when Harrison accused CNN and others of not covering Democratic redistricting plans, Collins dropped some video clips on him. Harrison was not pleased:

COLLINS: But if that’s how it happens, are you fine with other states, Democrat-run states changing this, in the middle of the decade as well?

HARRISON: Well, it’s their prerogative to do it. But, I mean, I do have to point out that I don’t know of any, just about any major media, CNN included, that dragged Governor Pritzker on TV, and ask him to justify the gerrymandering in his state, or California, where I’m looking at right now, Republicans have 40 percent of the vote in California, but they only give 17 percent of their seats to Republicans. Same thing in New York.

COLLINS: Yes. Well I heard you–

HARRISON: I mean, these are more gerrymandered than anything we’re contemplating down here, in the State of Texas.

COLLINS: I don’t know if you could say more, but–

HARRISON: And quite frankly, what we’re talking about doing is legal. It’s constitutional. It’s permissible.

COLLINS: But certainly–

HARRISON: We should do it.

COLLINS: Well, what you’re saying is, it’s bad when Democrats are gerrymandering. I mean, that’s obviously what Republicans are being accused of doing.

But you say, that no one’s covered it. I mean, CNN certainly covered it. I heard you say this earlier, so I looked this up. We’ve written many articles about it, and also it’s been talked about on TV. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, ANDERSON COOPER 360: In states, though, like Illinois, Oregon, Maryland, Democrats are also engaged in gerrymandering congressional districts.

DAVID CHALIAN (ph), CNN SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF AND POLITICAL DIRECTOR: And, as a result, Democrats have really tried to put Republicans in difficult places, particularly in downstate Illinois.

BRIAN TODD (ph), CNN CORRESPONDENT: One possible reason for Kinzinger’s decision, his Illinois district is being redrawn.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: So I just want to be clear, we have covered it when Democrats gerrymander–

HARRISON: Well, I–

COLLINS: –as well, sir.

HARRISON: Well, Kaitlan, I know. I got to tell you, I’m incredibly flattered the amount of time CNN must have spent fact-checking what I said earlier today, to come up with those clips. But if those are the best clips you can find, then my points stand, I was proven correct, because at no point was he asked to justify those maps.

But here’s the point. It wasn’t that I was saying good, bad, right or wrong, whether they could or should or shouldn’t. The point is, what we’re talking about in the State of Texas is something that is constitutional, it’s legal. The Supreme Court has said we can do things like this.

And my main criticism of the governor — the Liberal Democrat governors in California, New York, Illinois and other places, isn’t so much the weighing in on the merits of their maps. It’s the rank hypocrisy and the fake outrage. These Democrats, my Democrat colleagues that fled the state, to go hide behind Governor Pritzker, they’re not mad that states are engaging in redistricting to maximize partisan political advantage. What they’re mad about, but they won’t say it, they’re mad that a Republican state is stepping up and doing it. That’s the real problem, and that’s the hypocrisy–

COLLINS: Yes.

HARRISON: –that I’m trying to point out here.

COLLINS: But to the point, I mean, Governor Abbott’s not here right now. I’m not questioning him about it. Obviously, we’d love to have him on to talk about this.

HARRISON: Yes.

COLLINS: But you’re here talking about it.

HARRISON: Yes.

COLLINS: We’re still covering it, is the point.

HARRISON: Yes.

COLLINS: So I don’t think you can say that–

HARRISON: Yes.

COLLINS: –it’s not being covered.

Watch above via CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins.