CNN anchor Abby Phillip wound up refereeing a wild fracas when a discussion of President Donald Trump’s deportation policies was derailed by a mention of enslaved Black people.
On Wednesday’s edition of CNN NewsNight, Phillip convened a panel that included Ana Navarro, Scott Jennings, Shermichael Singleton, Dan Koh, Raul Reyes, and Gretchen Carlson.
Things got heated when Navarro made a remark about slavery that Singleton interpreted as equating enslaved people with undocumented immigrants and migrants who enter the country unlawfully:
NAVARRO: You know who was here illegally before the deportation order? Marco Rubio’s grandfather.PHILLIP: OK. All right. Let’s –SINGLETON: We’re not talking about Marco Rubio.NAVARRO: We’re not, no. That’s not relevant?SINGLETON: It’s not relevant. It’s not relevant to this conversation at all.NAVARRO: No, I’m talking about Marco Rubio because Marco Rubio used to be an advocate for TPS for Venezuelans, and Marco Rubio used to be –SINGLETON: Well, I’m not Marco Rubio and I’m not Nicaraguan. And let me tell you my beliefs.(CROSSTALK)NAVARRO: — an advocate for Nicaraguans and Cubans. No, I know you’re not.SINGLETON: If you come to this country illegally, you are going home. Simple as that.PHILLIP: OK.SINGLETON: We do not have unlimited resources in this country –PHILLIP: I think a lot of Americans –SINGLETON: — to take care of
other people.(CROSSTALK)NAVARRO: There’s a hell of a lot other people other than the black people who were brought here as slaves who came to this country illegally.SINGLETON: They are not the same as black people who were brought here against our will. They decided to walk their butts (ph) across the border.(CROSSTALK)NAVARRO: That’s exactly what I said. I said there is a lot of people –(CROSSTALK) NAVARRO: — other than the black people.SINGLETON: There’s a big difference. There’s a big difference.(CROSSTALK)PHILLIP: Shermichael — Shermichael and Ana.NAVARRO: You’re acting indignant.PHILLIP: OK.NAVARRO: That’s exactly what I just said.SINGLETON: I’m not acting indignant.(CROSSTALK)PHILLIP: Let me just — Shermichael, stop. Ana and Shermichael –(CROSSTALK)NAVARRO: There are a lot of people –(CROSSTALK)PHILLIP: I think you actually misheard what she — I think you misheard what she said.NAVARRO: No. He pushed me.PHILLIP: She said –SINGLETON: That I purposely misheard? Now you’re in my brain?PHILLIP: Listen to me for a second.SINGLETON: Is that is that where we’re going?PHILLIP: Shermichael –NAVARRO: You think I will say I will have advocated for black people my entire life and say something like that?SINGLETON: Because you’ve advocated for black people, great. Congratulations. Last time I checked, I’m black. You’re not.PHILLIP: OK. Shermichael –NAVARRO: That’s right. I’m Latino, and my people are being racially profiled.(CROSSTALK)SINGLETON: And do I have to remind you the history of my people?PHILLIP: Shermichael –SINGLETON: Do you want to go there?NAVARRO: I don’t –(CROSSTALK)NAVARRO: I actually know the history of your people.(CROSSTALK)PHILLIP: Raul — we’re going to go on a break. Raul Reyes, thank you very much for joining us. Everybody else, hang tight. We’ll be right back.(CROSSTALK)NAVARRO: History was not in place when I was studying history —
Watch above via CNN NewsNight.