Ex-Trump Aide Exclaims Jan. 6 ‘Was Not a Racist Incident!’ in Heated CNN Hit
Things got heated on CNN when former Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) brought up Jan. 6 during a discussion of racism and ex-Trump official Marc Short exclaimed that he was there and it “was not a racist incident!”
On Wednesday night’s edition of CNN NewsNight, anchor Abby Phillip hosted a panel comprised of Short, Bowman, Abel Maldonado, Ana Navarro, Dan Koh, and Sabrina Singh.
The group discussed the bigoted attacks that have been leveled at Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani after his stunning mayoral primary upset win over former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Bowman took exception when Short tried to refocus the discussion on “the left”:
PHILLIP: I — I just — I mean, frankly, it’s like, okay. You disagree with his policies, disagree with his policies. Why is it that the number one line of attack against him on the right is that he’s Muslim?
SHORT: I don’t know if that is number one attack, Abby. I mean, I think in our conversation tonight, we’ve been focused pretty much on the policy.
PHILLIP: I mean, you have. I’m not talking about you. Look, you’re invited to this table. I’m talking about the people who, as we just showed, that — that is what they say. He’s a Muslim. He’s an immigrant. This is what makes him unacceptable.
SHORT: I’m not going to sit here and condone it, Abby. I think the reality though is —
BOWMAN: Do you condemn it?
SHORT: Yeah. Sure. And I — but I think there’s performative artists on both sides — in both sides of politics today, and — and as — as intolerable as some of the rhetoric is, the reality is that the last two assassination attempts on Donald Trump were from leftist.
Assassination attempts on Brett Kavanaugh is from leftist. So, we condemn the — the rhetoric on the right, but it seems like it’s always focused on the right, and actually not focused on the actions on the left.
BOWMAN: You know, two elected officials in Minnesota were killed. They were Democrats. That wasn’t an assassination attempt.
(CROSSTALK)
SHORT: Yeah, and I think it’s still–
BOWMAN: They were killed.
SHORT: They were killed.
BOWMAN: Hold on. Let me finish.
SHORT: It’s not a question about — about the motive of the person who did it.
BOWMAN: These were two Democratic elected officials in Minnesota who were killed. The Tree of Life Synagogue shooting, killed. Christ Church, New Zealand, slaughtered. AME Church in South Carolina —
NAVARRO: Josh Shapiro —
BOWMAN: On and on and on.
SHORT: Catholic —
BOWMAN: This is America.
SHORT: Catholic Pro-life Ministry is bombed.
BOWMAN: And the problem is we are not dealing with America’s original sin and its disease of hate and racism towards black and brown people, and sexism towards women, and anti-LGBTQ sentiment. We are not dealing with that. Your colleagues in the Republican Party do not hold each other accountable when it comes to the racism that comes from the party on a consistent basis.
SHORT: Congressman, I mean, where are you on — assassination attempts?
(CROSSTALK)
BOWMAN: You can’t be calm about this. I’m a black man in America. The reason why heart disease —
(CROSSTALK)
SHORT: I’m white. I can’t come out of it?
(CROSSTALK)
BOWMAN: Listen to what I’m saying. The reason why heart disease and cancer and obesity and diabetes are bigger in the black community is because of the stress we carry from having to deal with being called the N word directly or indirectly every day. If –if your colleagues would listen and try to learn and engage and grow, and stop being so hateful, we could have a better country.
MALDONADO: Jamaal —
BOWMAN: But unfortunately, we’re still here.
MALDONADO: Jamaal —
(CROSSTALK)
UNKNOWN: The hate is coming from one side.
MALDONADO: Jamaal, I feel your passion and I understand where you’re coming from sincerely. I really, really do. It happens on both sides, Jamaal. You might think it happens more on your side?
(CROSSTALK)
MALDONADO: Jamaal, Jamaal, when I leave the show —
BOWMAN: We have —
MALDONADO: Jamaal, when I leave the show, when I leave the show, Jamaal, you should see my Twitter feed. I mean. (CROSSTALK)
BOWMAN: And they’re acquitted. Rodney King, Abner Louima, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, black cops in Memphis. It’s not the same and I don’t — I don’t want to qualify or quantify pain. That’s not what I’m talking about. Everyone goes through pain. But the racism in this country is the disease that will destroy us, and it’s destroying us right now as we speak.
MALDONADO: You’re a divided — 100 percent.
BOWMAN: January 6th. Everybody was pardoned. Everybody’s pardoned. Riots in L.A., they’re insurrectionists. But we pardon everyone in January 6th.
SHORT: But Congressman, I was there in January 6th. I was evacuated in January 6th. That was not a racist incident. I don’t know why you’re — you’re making that connection.
BOWMAN: There were men who’s walking through the Capitol with a Confederate flag.
SHORT: I was there. I was evacuated, Congressman.
BOWMAN: What does the confederate flag represent?
SHORT: Come on, Congressman.
BOWMAN: I’m asking you a question.
SHORT: This was not — this was — this was about a riot in the Capitol.
BOWMAN: When you suggest —
(CROSSTALK)
BOWMAN: — the wooden cross in American history, what does that mean? Google black lynchings in the South and watch the images that come up with black people hanging from trees and white people looking and eating sandwiches. This is America whether we deal with it or not.
(CROSSTALK)
PHILLIP: OK. Let me — let me —
(CROSSTALK)
BOWMAN: Why are you in denial?
Watch above via CNN NewsNight.
