‘No! No! It’s Not!’ CNN Anchor And Dem Analyst Hammer Ex-Trump Official Excusing ‘Lies’ As ‘Highlighting Problems’

CNN anchor Kate Bolduan and Democratic analyst Karen Finney shut down ex-Trump official Marc Lotter when he claimed former President Donald Trump’s lies about Haitian migrants are Trump “highlighting problems” with immigration.

Trump and his running mate Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) have been waging a campaign of lies against Haitian migrants that peaked with Trump’s “They’re eating the pets!” debate rant, and has now become part of his stump speech.

The lie that immigrants from Haiti have been abducting and eating household pets — all thanks to Vice President Kamala Harris — has been blamed for a rash of threats against schools, hospitals, and other institutions in and around Springfield, Ohio. But Trump has only escalated by suggesting he might visit Springfield — and might not make it out alive.

On Thursday morning’s edition of CNN News Central, Bolduan and Finney both jumped in when Lotter tried to launder Trump’s attacks as “highlighting” legitimate issues:

KATE BOLDUAN: Karen. Karen, you definitely respond. But. Are you happy then, in a political sense, even though it is probably dangerous for the community potentially, that that Donald Trump continues to lean on this?

KAREN FINNEY: No, it’s disgusting and shameful and it is endangering the lives of children and families! Shame on him and shame on JD Vance, because here’s the truth.

Nobody dumped people on Springfield, Ohio. Businesses in Ohio had job shortages. They were recruiting Haitian migrants who are here in this country legally to come to help fill what are menial labor jobs that people who lived there didn’t want to do. That’s what happened.

What they need, as the mayor himself said, is help. Not hate. Not the KKK showing up, not the Proud Boys showing up.

And let’s be very clear about what Trump is doing. This actually has nothing to do with a conversation about immigration reform. This is a political tactic. We’ve seen it cycle after cycle leading up to an election where you demonize, dehumanize and lie about migrants to scare people.

But the thing is, if you stop, what you realize is you’re not hearing real solutions from Donald Trump. What you’re hearing, again, is lies and hate. But you’re not hearing, as the VP said asked in that in that clip you showed.

Okay. So you’re going to do mass deportations. How are you going to do that? Are cops going to go house to house and just pull people out of their homes? How are they going to decide who is here legally and who is here Not legally? Is it going to be deportation camps? I’m telling you, like it’s a disaster. And who’s going to pay for it?

MARC LOTTER: Start with the criminals. Start with the criminals and the gang members. That’s what they’re —

(CROSSTALK)

KATE BOLDUAN: People don’t want criminals. People, people don’t like criminals. I think polling would suggest people don’t like criminals. Mostly.

But you’re going to have to define what a criminal is because they’re — some of the immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, are being wrongfully labeled criminals by Donald Trump!

MARC LOTTER: It’s a fact that, look, there are so many communities out there that are struggling to keep up with services, whether it’s New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, wherever.

Now we’re seeing it going into smaller communities. People are worried. They’re seeing their tax dollars being going to support illegal immigrants or immigrant communities that are in their communities while their services are being reduced.

Their schools are being filled with folks, their students aren’t able to learn. They can’t go to parks. They do see an increase in criminal activity in their homes. Traffic problems in Springfield, Ohio.

All of these things are documented in real —

KAREN FINNEY: Marc, stop!

MARC LOTTER: And by Donald Trump highlighting the problems. That’s what we’re talking about here. Kamala Harris wants to let more in —

KAREN FINNEY: No! No!

KATE BOLDUAN: Just on a factual basis. It’s not highlighting a problem! It’s no, it’s not —

KAREN FINNEY: Lying!

KATE BOLDUAN: Because factually it’s not happening in Springfield! Go find your problem elsewhere then. If you want to have the fact the factoid.

I just. That’s my that’s my point. It’s not it’s not, Marc, that there isn’t problems with immigration in this country right now. Democrats and Republicans agree with that.

But it’s finding examples that don’t exist. That is the problem here, which is why I’m saying strategically, it seems — it’s a choice.

Watch above via CNN News Central.