A CNN panel descended into farce as guests argued over one another about the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, the latest example of Donald Trump pushing to prosecute his enemies.
During a heated debate on NewsNight, journalist and political analyst Charles Blow even had to tell conservative radio show host Ben Ferguson that yelling was not the best way to express his views.
Host Abby Phillip noted Trump was “expanding” his list of targeted enemies, with charges against longtime foe Comey arriving as his administration was also reportedly planning to go after the foundation founded by right-wing bogeyman George Soros.
In response, Blow blasted Ferguson, who tried to downplay Trump’s revenge tour by claiming Democrats had previously gone after the president and his allies—such as national security adviser Michael Flynn—as part of sprawling probes into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
“This is why it is so maddening for Americans, because this deflection that you’re doing, this false equivalency… we have to sit here and watch you jump through hoops,” Blow said as Ferguson frequently interrupted him.
“You literally said the Steele Dossier was user-generated by the FBI, and then you weaponize it to go after Donald Trump, to have a coup against a sitting president of United States, America,” Ferguson said, in reference to the largely discredited document containing unverified intelligence reports on Trump’s relationship with Russia. “And you want to lecture me about right and wrong? Come on, man.”
“Just because you are loud, doesn’t mean you are right,” Blow told the passionate Ferguson, adding the radio host is “muddying the waters” when it comes to who has “weaponized” the government.
Comey, who was fired as FBI director by Trump in 2017, is accused of one count of making a false statement to Congress and one count of obstruction of a congressional proceeding.
The charges relate to testimony Comey gave in September 2020 regarding the Russia investigation and whether he authorized leaks to the press about the probe. The charges, announced by Attorney General Pam Bondi, have been widely criticized, with one source telling MSNBC it ranks “among the worst abuses in DOJ history.”
Comey, who Trump fired from the FBI months after the president allegedly asked him to back away from investigating Flynn’s ties to Russia, denied the latest charges in a video posted on Instagram.
“My family and I have known for years that there are costs to standing up to Donald Trump, but we couldn’t imagine ourselves living any other way. We will not live on our knees, and you shouldn’t either,” Comey said.
After more yelling during the Newsnight debate, Johanna Maska, a former White House aide under Barack Obama, told Ferguson that Republicans are setting up a “very dangerous precedent” by not condemning how Trump is openly targeting his political enemies while in office.
“I just don’t understand what Trump actually thinks that he has to win out of this, because if he has to explain it, while Americans are losing their jobs, he’s not winning,” she said.
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