CNN’s Abby Phillip shut down a MAGA commentator during a fiery on-air showdown, accusing him of distorting the contents of a video released by Democratic lawmakers about military conduct.
The blowup between GOP podcaster and radio host Ben Ferguson and Phillip unfolded Thursday night on NewsNight with Abby Phillip as the panel dissected President Donald Trump’s furious tirade on Truth Social that Democrats had engaged in “seditious behavior”. He labeled the group “traitors” whose crime should be “punishable by death.”
Trump’s outburst came after the six lawmakers—Sens. Elissa Slotkin and Mark Kelly and Reps. Chris DeLuzio, Maggie Goodlander, Chrissy Houlahan, and Jason Crow—released a video reminding service members they can, and indeed must, refuse unlawful commands.
The controversy comes at a time of rising political tensions, fueled by the killings of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk and a Democratic state lawmaker in Minnesota—and prompted warnings that Trump’s tirade would put the lawmakers’ lives at risk.
Ferguson repeatedly claimed during the segment that the Democratic lawmakers had told U.S. service members and the intelligence community directly to defy orders given by the president.
“We wouldn’t be having this conversation right now if it wasn’t for a ridiculous video that was put out by Democrats telling people in uniform to defy the president of the United States of America,” the conservative pundit said.
Phillip hit back: “Ben, we just laid out that the video says you should not follow illegal orders. Do you think that members of the military should follow illegal orders?”
Ferguson immediately reframed the issue: “I think it’s pretty clear that this was an obvious video that was put out without any issue around it, saying, if you don’t like what the president’s doing—”
Phillip cut him off, saying, “That’s literally not what it said.”
Ferguson then accused Kelly of attacking Trump “by telling people in the military to not obey the president of the United States of America.”
Phillip shut the pundit down. “Hold on a second,” she began. “We just played for people at home exactly what the video says. You can’t then sit here and lie about that same video. That doesn’t work.”
The host added: “The video did not say that they should defy the orders of the president. It said that you cannot follow illegal orders—that’s in the military code of justice.”
Trump responded to the lawmakers’ video with a flurry of furious posts on Truth Social on Thursday, blasting the group for what he called “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL.”
He went on to declare, “Each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL. Their words cannot be allowed to stand. An example MUST BE SET.”
In another post, he asked, “LOCK THEM UP???” and later shared another post which said: “HANG THEM GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD !!”
The six Democrats later released a joint statement defending their position, saying, “No threat, intimidation, or call for violence will deter us from that sacred obligation.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
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