Elie Honig and George Conway Clash in Heated CNN Segment: ‘That’s Just Complete Nonsense’
CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig and anti-Trump lawyer George Conway clashed on Wednesday in a heated debate on whether former President Donald Trump was prohibited by the 14th Amendment to become president again.
During an appearance on CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins, Conway explained why he changed his mind on the matter and came to believe that Trump was ineligible for office:
All the arguments that I have seen against disqualification are bogus, like the one which my friend Elie just mentioned. He suggested the only way that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment could be enforced is through an act of Congress. That’s just not true. There’s nothing in Section 3 that says that. There’s nothing that says that in the other provisions of the 14th Amendment. If it were true, that would mean that if Congress repealed tomorrow all of the civil rights acts that were enacted from the time of the Civil War through the ’60s to the present, that would mean under Section 1, that Section 1, which prohibits race discrimination, that would mean that states could immediately start re-segregating their schools and there would be no way to enforce it. That’s just not the law.
He continued, “I mean really, the arguments are pathetically weak, and unless somebody comes up with something better, the Supreme Court is going to have a very difficult time avoiding the consequence of the plain language of the 14th Amendment.”
Honig replied:
I agree with original George here, where he started off. There is language on this specifically in the 14th Amendment. Everyone’s talking about Section 3, which is very important. It says if an officer engages in insurrection or gives comfort to enemies of the country, he’s disqualified. Great. But Section 5, two sections ahead, says Congress shall have the power to pass legislation to enact this amendment. So has Congress done that? No. It doesn’t say Congress shall have the power or states can.
“That’s nonsense. Elie, that’s just complete nonsense,” protested Conway. “You don’t need Congress to tell you to follow the Constitution no more than you need Congress to tell you to follow the Section 1’s prohibition in the 14th Amendment that says that you can’t put Black kids in a different school.”
After Honig replied, “I’m not following that analogy whatsoever,” Conway snapped, “It’s just not that hard, Elie. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The argument continued:
Honig: “This says Congress shall have the power–”
Conway: “Elie. Elie. Elie. You know better. You read the provision. That provision applies to Section 1 as well. Your logic would mean that courts– that states could engage in race discrimination tomorrow if all the civil rights statutes were gone. It’s just nonsense, Elie, and you know better.”
Honig: “Not at all. That’s not what it means. It says Congress shall have the power. You’re trying to add in states.”
Conway: “It’s nonsense, Elie. It’s not an argument. It’s not a serious argument, Elie. I’m sorry, it’s not a serious argument.”
Honig: “You’re speaking in conclusory terms. You’re not addressing the actual issue.”
Conway: “No, I’m not speaking– You’re the one speaking in conclusory terms, Elliot! Elliot, I made a– I mean, Elie.”
As the debate went on, Conway continued to mistakenly refer to Honig as “Elliot,” and Honig accused Conway of “filibustering” and of engaging in “pretzel logic,” to which Conway replied, “Elie, you’re just not making any sense.”
Watch above via CNN.
