A CNN panel featuring a former Trump campaign adviser and a CNN analyst devolved into chaos Wednesday during a discussion on the raid on former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence.
The panel was discussing Republican responses to the raid, with host Victor Blackwell asking whether individuals who could potentially run for the Republican nomination in 2024, like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence, among others, should just “stay silent.”
“Right, well, I think S.E’s analysis of this, I think Republicans writ large care a great deal about overreach from the Department of Justice and from the federal government writ large, right? I think that small government, you know, Republicans, small government Republicans find this repugnant and repulsive and history of the Republic nothing like that has occurred,” former Trump campaign adviser David Urban said. “I think this has made Donald Trump a sympathetic character, which is very hard to do. I think it’s made him sympathetic amongst a great deal more Republicans.”
“I think this is a Trump world talking point that all across the country people are very concerned about the overreach and losing confidence in the FBI and the Justice Department now, that is true amongst – in the MAGA world, but I think most people across the country think if you didn’t-” S.E. Cupp said.
“S.E., come out of the bubble,” Urban said.
“Let me finish. If you didn’t leave the White House with classified documents you don’t have to worry that the FBI is coming to raid your home office. I think most people think holding even the president accountable is good. That’s a good thing. That’s a sign of a healthy – a healthy Justice Department, and a healthy FBI. I think this Trump world talking point that the FBI is corrupt and the Justice Department is coming for average Americans.”
“If they did it to Trump, they could do it to you,” Blackwell chimed in.
“It’s preposterous, and I think-” Cupp said.
“Listen, I’m not-” Urban cut off.
“We’re parroting it as if it’s a majority opinion, it’s not.”
“I’m not going that far, S.E. What I’m simply saying is that a wide swath of Americans are very concerned about a historical precedent,” Urban said.
“I don’t think that’s true,” Cupp said.
“This is a presidential records act violation, this is not criminal,” Urban said. “Are you kidding me, S.E.?”
“No.”
“Did they kick down Hillary Clinton’s doors to get her servers?” Urban said.
“Trump set the precedent.”
“S.E., could I finish? You have top secret information, top secret information on Hillary Clinton’s computer, okay? I’m not sure if you’re familiar with how a SCIF [sensitive compartmented information facility] works, S.E.,” Urban said.
“You don’t have to be condescending, David. I know what you know. Trust me.”
“I’m not, I’m saying it is simply a much bigger deal. Nobody raided the Clinton House in Chappaqua. For you to say-”
“We don’t need to compare and contrast,” Cupp shot back. (RELATED: Scarborough Says Out Loud That Police Exist To Bring His Political Opponents ‘To Justice’)
“S.E. just let me finish. For you to say I’m parroting MAGA world talking points because I’m saying Republicans writ large are concerned I think you need to get out and talk to some Republicans S.E.”
“You said a wide swath of Americans,” Cupp claimed.
“I said Republicans.”
“Hillary’s emails, bad. Trump’s documents, bad. Secret Service texts, bad. I want to see it all. I’m pretty fair and down the middle on this. I’m not saying one is worse than the other. You don’t have to,” Cupp said. “It’s all bad. But I think if you’re going to apply that same level of scrutiny to Hillary, we should apply it to Donald Tump, and I don’t think people, wide swaths of Americans, believe that the FBI is corrupt and coming for them because they went for a president who set the precedent for doing things that no other president had ever done before. Some of which may in fact be criminal.”
A poll released Wednesday found a majority of Republican and Independent voters viewed the Monday raid as political and said it motivates them to head to the polls in November.
Fox News’ Peter Doocy asked White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Tuesday if the Biden administration is “weaponizing” the Department of Justice against political opponents.
Jean-Pierre struggled to answer, saying she could not give a “yes or no” answer because she wouldn’t “comment on a criminal investigation.”