CNN anchor Kate Bolduin and Democratic analyst Karen Finney Mark Lotter was furious.the chief communications officer for the American First Policy Institute and former strategic communications director for the Trump-Pence administration said in an interview with the network on Thursday.
Bolduin blamed Lotter and Donald Trump's campaign to “gaslight” the American public about the immigration crisis, specifically the allegations of eating Haitian pets in Springfield, Ohio.
“As the mayor himself said, what they need is help, not hate. They don't need the KKK to show up. They don't need the Proud Boys to show up.”
“Speaking of immigration, we have new revelations that Donald Trump is promising to go to Springfield, Ohio, in the next two weeks to further assert what the Republican governor has called bullshit regarding the conspiracy theory about immigrants eating pets,” Bolduin said.
“Why would you encourage him to do that?” Bolduin asked Lotter.
“Of course I encourage him to resign, because what's happening in Springfield, Ohio, what's happening in Aurora, Colorado, it's not just about these specific incidents, it's about what unchecked immigration does to these communities at a time when people are fighting for housing and services,” Lotter responded.
Bolduin quickly interjected, yelling at Lotter, “No, it definitely has to do with something specific, Mark. Come on!”
“I have officially entered gaslighting territory,” she continued. “In the last two days, several of my closest friends and analysts have told me that reality isn't reality. Mark, the Governor is saying it's garbage. … It's the embodiment or expression of absolute zero because pets aren't being eaten in Springfield.”
Lotter went on to explain that the town, which previously had a population of around 60,000, was overwhelmed by the 15,000 to 20,000 Haitians “thrown into the community.”
When Lotter continued, Finney replied, “No.”
“Some residents are anxious. They're seeing services being cut and parks becoming overcrowded,” Lotter said. “There's also discussion about people squatting in other people's yards. There are a lot of issues there.”
Finney again answered, “No.”
“Look at what's going on in Aurora, Colorado, where Venezuelan gangs are taking over apartment complexes,” Lotter added.
Finney again denied Lotter's comments.
“This is a terrible disgrace and puts the lives of children and families at risk. Shame on him and J.D. Vance and here's the truth,” Finney ranted. “Nobody was sending people to Springfield, Ohio. Companies in Ohio were short on jobs. They were recruiting Haitian immigrants who are in this country legally to fill menial jobs that people there didn't want to do. That's what happened.”
She continued, “As the mayor himself said, what they need is help, not hate. Not the KKK or the Proud Boys showing up.”
Finney accused Trump of using “political tactics.”[d]dehumanizing[d] And then he lies[d] They say it to scare people about immigration.”
She questioned how the Trump administration would carry out mass deportations.
“Are police going to go door to door taking people from their homes? How are they going to determine who's here legally and who's here illegally? Are we going to have deportation camps? Quite frankly, this is a disaster. And who's going to pay for it?” Finney asked.
Lotter suggested deportation efforts should start with criminals and gang members.
“We must define what a criminal is because some immigrants in Springfield, Ohio have been unfairly labeled as criminals by Donald Trump!” Bolduin argued.
“Whether you're in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, there are so many communities struggling to maintain service. Now we're seeing it trickle down to smaller communities. People are worried,” Lotter said.
Lotter said Trump was “highlighting the issues” in these communities.
“The facts are, this doesn't highlight a problem, not because it's not happening in Springfield, virtually. If you want the facts, look for a problem somewhere else,” Bolduan responded. “That's my point, Mark, it's not that we don't have an immigration problem in this country right now. Democrats and Republicans agree on that, but the problem here is finding examples where they don't exist.”
Finney argued that the country needs “comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for all lawful residents.”
Lotter interrupted Finney to claim she was proposing mass amnesty.
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