CNN anchor Abby Phillip publicly accused MAGA talking head Scott Jennings of lying after a heated on-air exchange about Venezuela’s role in the U.S. drug crisis boiled over onto social media.
The clash began Friday night on NewsNight as the panel discussed President Donald Trump’s claim that U.S. airstrikes had destroyed a sixth Venezuelan vessel allegedly carrying fentanyl bound for the United States. Phillip pushed back, saying the administration was using the fentanyl crisis to justify aggressive action against Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro.
“I think it’s politically convenient to lay [the drug crisis] at the feet of Venezuela,” Phillip said on air. “But it also is not aligned with the facts.” She noted that Mexico—not Venezuela—was the primary source of fentanyl entering the U.S. “What is a problem is that Venezuela is a failed state that is run by a dictator,” she added. “If the agenda is regime change, then that should be what Trump says, not blaming it on drug trafficking.”
Absolutely no one defended Venezuela’s regime at this table. That’s a lie.Fentanyl is responsible for 70% of the drug overdose deaths in America. And 90% of it comes from Mexico, not Venezuela. Those are the facts. https://t.co/wvMHykar31
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) October 18, 2025
Jennings bristled, accusing Phillip of minimizing the threat. “Well, they’re one and the same. He is a drug lord,” he fired back.
After the segment aired, the clash intensified, with Phillip eventually accusing Jennings of lying.
The conservative commentator posted to X: “Trump: Maybe we shouldn’t let Venezuela send drugs & terrorists to the United States.
“Nobody:
“Absolutely nobody:
“CNN: Come on Scott, is Venezuela really that bad?
“Even I still get surprised sometimes.”
Phillip swiftly shot back, accusing Jennings of misrepresenting the exchange.
“Absolutely no one defended Venezuela’s regime at this table. That’s a lie,” she wrote. “Fentanyl is responsible for 70% of the drug overdose deaths in America. And 90% of it comes from Mexico, not Venezuela. Those are the facts.”
Jennings has long defended the administration’s foreign policy moves, while Phillips has often fact-checked him. Phillip’s post had more than 570k views by Monday morning.
The clash comes amid a wave of lethal strikes ordered by the president, starting last month. The missions center on what he claims are drug-smuggling vessels traveling from Venezuela. So far, 29 people have been killed, but U.S. officials have offered little to no detail on who was on board or what intelligence justified the attacks.
Trump has posited that the U.S. is in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels. The cartels have been designated by the administration as “non-state armed groups” whose actions “constitute an armed attack against the United States.”
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