‘I’m Not Gonna Debate a Podcaster!’ Former Trump Chief of Staff Snaps During NewsNation Argument

A NewsNation debate between former Trump chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and progressive podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen blew up on Tuesday, with Mulvaney snapping, “I’m not gonna debate a podcaster.”

After Mulvaney protested, “The government’s too big. It just is. We’re $37 trillion in debt,” Cohen responded, “When we talk about this idea that the government is too big, that there’s too much spending– I mean, Mick, it’s your party.”

“It’s Donald Trump that is adding trillions and trillions and trillions to the debt because they want to give themselves tax cuts,” he said. “The Republicans just passed a budget bill that would add $4 trillion to the debt.”

“$4 trillion. I get it. Okay,” remarked Mulvaney, to which Cohen replied, “You can scoff it off, but it doesn’t change the math.”

The two men then began to talk over each other as Cohen continued, “Don’t change the subject. I mean, you brought up the fact that the government was too big, and so I said the government is too big because the Republicans are spending too much, and you switch topics. So is it not the Republican Party that’s added a quarter of all debt in Trump’s first term and then added $4 trillion because of this budget?”

“No, I’m not gonna talk about Covid and the bipartisan bills of the past,” snapped Mulvaney. “Look, if we want to talk about the government shutdown, we can, but I’m not gonna debate a podcaster.”

Cohen concluded, “You’re not gonna debate when I give you the numbers, and I mean, it looks worse on you than it does on me because I gave you the numbers right there and you just don’t want to answer the question.”

Following the debate, Cohen mocked Mulvaney on social media, writing, “Appears on air to debate podcaster… refuses to debate podcaster.”

Watch above via NewsNation.