A CNN panel erupted into a heated confrontation Wednesday after a prominent Republican strategist invoked Osama bin Laden while attacking a Democratic Senate candidate — triggering an angry response from a fellow guest.
The tense exchange on Dana Bash’s “Inside Politics” prompted the CNN host to acknowledge her interview segment “took a turn.”
The fireworks began when Republican strategist Jason Theilman, a former executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, criticized Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.
“They ought to take him and put him in a bunker somewhere, because every time he opens his mouth, he continues to perpetuate a problem,” Theilman said, before invoking Republican Sen. John Kennedy’s criticism of El-Sayed.
“Senator Kennedy said it best: ‘When he goes to bed at night, it looks like he’s sleeping in bin Laden’s jersey.’”
Democratic strategist Guy Cecil, seated beside Theilman, turned toward him in apparent disbelief.
“Talking about a guy being in Osama bin Laden’s jersey is pretty disgusting,” Cecil, a former executive director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, fired back.
The two began talking over each other as the confrontation grew more intense.
“Overtalking me doesn’t make you right,” Cecil told Theilman. “And you’ll want to apologize for what you just said later.”
“The reality is you can criticize his positions on Israel without saying he sleeps in Osama bin Laden’s jersey,” Cecil added.
As Bash ended the fiery segment Wednesday, she told her guests she “did not expect that to turn into a debate.”
“I think it was important what you said,” she added, gesturing to Cecil.
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