Culture war conservative hit with instant fact check on CNN by ex-Trump ambassador

A culture war conservative got an abrupt fact check on foreign policy from President Donald Trump’s former ambassador to the European Union.

Anti-trans crusader Terry Schilling appeared Tuesday on “CNN This Morning,” where he joined a panel discussion on the U.S. president’s reportedly profane confrontation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the bombing campaign in Lebanon, and he argued that Trump was facing pressure to end his war in Iran.

“This is what happens when you get $5 a gallon for gas,” Schilling said. “Republicans are very frustrated. We did not vote for this at all, and I think a lot of the discrepancy is coming because Trump’s trying to get a peace deal. He’s trying to tone this down and get out of this, and meanwhile take away Iran’s nukes. But Israel doesn’t want Iran to exist, right? That’s the reality, and that’s why they keep doing these things and screwing up our peace talks. But you’re going to see that number continue to tick up the longer this conflict goes on, and that’s why it’s very important that President Trump gets –”

Gordon Sondland, the former EU ambassador, stepped in to correct Schilling.

“I don’t agree with that at all,” Sondland said. “You’re saying Israel does not want Iran to exist? Israel very much wants Iran to exist as a partnership. What they don’t want is the clerical regime to exist.

The smile drained from Schilling’s face as the ambassador continued his lesson on geopolitics.

“There are about 90 million people in Iran, and about 88 million of them would love to be a peaceful partner of Israel,” Sondland said. “The 2 million that don’t happen to have all the money and the weapons.”

Schilling attempted to save face after straying outside his depth.

“Well, I think actions speak louder than words,” Schilling said. “I’ll defer to you. You are the foreign policy expert. But I think that there’s a lot of really bad things that we’re seeing coming out of this entire conflict, and the quicker we can get out of it, I think the better it is going to be for our country and for the future of America.”