Discussion on Trump and Hamas on CNN Newsnight
During a segment on “CNN Newsnight,” host Abby Phillippe stepped in when a left-wing panelist remarked that both President Donald Trump and Hamas were “democratically elected.”
President Trump returned to Washington, D.C., early Tuesday following a visit to Israel and Egypt, where he spoke at the Knesset and signed a peace agreement with Arab leaders. This deal aimed to end Israel’s conflict with various extremist groups. The conversation shifted towards Trump’s attempt to address the unrest at universities stemming from pro-Hamas protests after the recent terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023, which resulted in over 1,200 deaths in southern Israel.
Washington Post reporter Josh Rogin characterized the current climate as “bad,” to which Salem Radio Network’s Scott Jennings questioned whether there had been an election last year. Rogin, appearing frustrated, attempted to rebut Jennings’ point.
Meidas Touch podcaster Adam Mockler insisted that Hamas was, indeed, democratically elected. This prompted Phillippe to interject, stating, “Okay, okay. I’m not going to make that comparison at the table.”
Jennings attempted to elaborate on how Democratic analysts have likened Trump’s election to that of Hamas but was cut off by Phillippe, who reiterated that they should not pursue that comparison. In a previous incident in October 2024, Phillippe ejected conservative podcaster Ryan James Gardusky from the panel following a dispute with former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan, who accused Gardusky of calling him a “Nazi.” This exchange escalated during a live broadcast.
In the review of that episode, Phillippe noted that he didn’t condemn Hasan for his comments comparing Trump supporters to Nazis.
