‘Don’t You Dare Accuse Me Of Lying!’ CNN Analyst Hits Back at Frank Luntz in Late-Night Smackdown

Democratic strategist and CNN analyst Karen Finney scolded GOP pollster Frank Luntz during a late-night brawl over the government shutdown as he interrupted to exclaim, “Tell the Truth!”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) delivered a loud rebuke on the Senate floor on Wednesday, pressuring Democrats by invoking the millions of Americans who stand to lose SNAP benefits during the shutdown. But many outlets have noted that President Donald Trump’s White House could ensure those benefits during the shutdown through the Department of Agriculture’s funding lapse plan.

On Wednesday night’s edition of CNN’s Laura Coates Live, host Laura Coates played Thune’s remarks for Finney, Luntz, and CNN GOP analyst Brad Todd.

When an incensed Luntz interrupted Finney for deriding Thune, Finney hit back, telling him, “Don’t you dare accuse me of lying!”:

COATES: Well, let’s talk about what many Americans right now are ruing, and that’s the day the shutdown happened, and it continues on what? What date? Twenty-nine. Are we at this point in time? It’s unbelievable.

Think about, Karen, on Capitol Hill, the majority leader, John Thune. He is putting a lot of pressure, as we speak, on Democrats. And he was laying blame right at their feet, which Democrats anticipate and have rejected, over SNAP benefits that are expiring at the — for the very first time. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THUNE: SNAP recipients shouldn’t go without food. People should be getting paid in this country. And we’ve tried to do that 13 times. You voted no 13 times. This isn’t a political game. These are real people’s lives that we’re talking about. And you all just figured out, 29 days in, that, oh, there might be some consequences.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COATES: Hmm. They just figured out.

FINNEY: It’s a beautiful performance, right?

LUNTZ: It’s not a performance.

FINNEY: It is a performance.

LUNTZ: It’s not a performance. I know him.

FINNEY: Frank, you’re not talking.

LUNTZ: I know him.

FINNEY: I am talking.

LUNTZ: I’m talking.

FINNEY: No. I was answering a question.

LUNTZ: Tell the truth.

FINNEY: You need to not —

LUNTZ: Tell the truth.

FINNEY: — and let me finish the answer.

LUNTZ: Then tell the truth.

COATES: I want to hear from both — I want to hear from both of you.

FINNEY: Don’t you dare accuse me of lying!

LUNTZ: John Thune. I know John Thune. He was not in performance.

COATES: Hold on a second. Hold on a second. I hear you both. I want to hear from all of you. Start your response, please.

FINNEY: Thank you.

COATES: If you want to inject at that point, please do. But I want to hear what you’d say. And if you’re not being truthful, I’m sure it’ll take you to task.

FINNEY: Yes. I felt like that was a performance. What I was going to say is right after that, the Republicans blocked a measure that would have — that was put forward by Democrats that would have actually said, let’s go ahead and put some money into SNAP.

But one of the other things that I think Democrats are so enraged about, how about the resistance (ph) package that took $200 billion — million dollars away from SNAP benefits? I mean, Republicans are upset because now, their voters are about to have consequences.

Watch above via CNN’s Laura Coates Live.

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!