CNN’s Cuomo Rebukes Santorum for Saying ‘Fake News’: ‘Don’t Say That BS on This Show’

One of Chris Cuomo’s “Great Debates” got pretty tense Monday night when the CNN anchor chastised CNN political commentator and former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum for using President Trump’s favorite nickname for the network during a heated discussion with fellow network contributor Bakari Sellers.

Ahead of Tuesday evening’s State of the Union, the president said he’s not taking off the table the possibility of declaring a national emergency to build his long-promised border wall. Cuomo asked if the wall was worth either another government shutdown or such a “national emergency,” leading Sellers to note that Trump had promised that Mexico was going to pay for the wall.

While Sellers railed against the wall, Santorum began needling him about the existing structures along the border, asking him if he wanted to tear those down if he feels “they’re not necessary.” Cuomo eventually interjected, noting that border-patrol agents have said such barriers are helpful to thwarting illegal crossings but have not claimed that the construction of new walls are a top priority for border security.

“The president made it his and he’s handcuffed them to that,” Cuomo added.

Sellers added that the “complete irony” of the wall debate is that the president is willing to yet again shut down the government while the federal employees that won’t get paid include border-patrol agents. And then the segment went off the rails.

“This is fake news, Bakari,” Santorum exclaimed in response. “This is fake news!”

Cuomo explained to the former senator that he was not being fair, causing Santorum to once again spout off that Sellers was dealing in “fake news.”

“No, no, no, hold on, Rick,” Cuomo finally snapped. “Don’t say that BS on this show! That’s the opposite of fake news.”

Nevertheless, the panel continued its heated near-shouting match for several more minutes, with Santorum at one point complaining that Sellers was getting too much time to talk and that the discussion was “two against one.”

At the end of the segment, however, Cuomo told Santorum to know that he’s “always welcome” to make his arguments on the show—however chaotic it may be.

“I don’t care how much heat I have for having you on to make the case,” the Cuomo Prime Time host concluded.

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Justin Baragona is the founder and publisher of Contemptor, a site focusing on the intersection of politics, culture and the media; and spends most of his waking hours consuming cable news.