Brianna Lyman from the Federalist faced off against New York Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman on live television Wednesday, criticizing him for misrepresenting the murder of a Minnesota politician and labeling President Donald Trump as a “fascist.”
Riots have erupted at Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities in Chicago and Portland, Oregon, in response to the administration’s enforcement measures against illegal immigration. This situation prompted President Trump to call in the National Guard to safeguard federal properties. In a heated discussion on “CNN Newsnight,” Lyman clashed with Goldman and host Phil Williams, who accused the show’s host Abby Phillippe of “fact-checking” two conservatives before condemning Trump as a “fascist.”
“You can’t fact-check us after promoting the Russian collusion hoax! Seriously?” Lyman said, to which Goldman replied, “That wasn’t me; that was Abby.” After some back-and-forth, Williams shifted the focus to the Biden administration’s border record.
“You’re definitely on the wrong side of history here, and you know it. Your party messed up border policy, leading to millions crossing over. And now we’re stuck dealing with the fallout, which you seem reluctant to acknowledge,” Williams told Goldman. In response, Goldman insisted, “You’re the ones on the wrong side because this president is an authoritarian and a fascist.”
Lyman condemned the rhetoric, stating, “That sounds like preparation for assassination.” As Lyman interrupted Goldman, claiming his language incited violence, Goldman attempted to counter her point.
Goldman argued that labeling Trump a fascist wasn’t a call to violence, but Philippe interjected, showing footage of Trump calling then-Vice President Kamala Harris a “Marxist” and a “fascist.”
“I appreciate both perspectives, but in today’s climate, where violence is aimed at my side, the right, I think it matters,” Lyman said, only to have Goldman respond, “That’s not accurate.”
“Oh really? Charlie Kirk was assassinated just last month,” Lyman retorted, with Williams adding remarks about the attack on the ICE facility in Texas.
Goldman then intended to reference the murder of Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband.
“The guy with the ‘No Kings’ flag appointed by Tim Walz?” Lyman shot back.
The suspect in Hortman’s murder claimed in a letter to the FBI that he was acting on behalf of Minnesota’s Democratic Governor Tim Walz.
Phillippe argued, “Look, Brianna, this isn’t just a simple matter of both sides. It’s about how certain words could be perceived as violent. If that standard applies to Goldman, it should apply to Trump too. If you think it’s not violent when Trump uses those terms, then how does that work?”
“Abby, I don’t know if you caught my point earlier, but it’s unacceptable for anyone to call someone a fascist,” Lyman replied. “When people hear terms like fascist or Nazi, they naturally think about the actions of those individuals in the 1940s who were dismantled by any means necessary for their atrocities.”
“So, when figures like Charlie Kirk or Chairman Gilbert are called fascists, we might not be clear if the audience understands that this has been overlooked on this show for days,” Lyman concluded, passionately saying, “When a Virginia attorney general candidate calls for two bullets to Speaker Gilbert’s head and labels his young children as fascists, that inherently implies a justification for extreme resistance.”
