A ranting MAGA pundit who repeatedly interrupted a fellow CNN guest was spectacularly cut off during a tense on-air clash.
Leigh McGowan, author and host of the podcast PoliticsGirl, tore into conservative podcaster Ben Ferguson when he deployed the Scott Jennings playbook of not letting his opponent speak during a debate, this time concerning the heavy-handed tactics of ICE.
McGowan, who destroyed Jennings for an eyebrow-raising Jeffrey Epstein take just days ago, had been attempting to make the point that the issue of deporting criminals should not have been politicized on Tuesday evening’s NewsNight with Abby Phillip.
“The thing is, it’s not political to say that we don’t want murderers in our country. We don’t want pedophiles in our country. We want those people identified, and we want those people punished,” McGowan began.
Before she could expand, Ferguson, who has been accused of being “loud and wrong” on the show in the past, jumped in. “Then why are you not working with ICE to get rid of them?” he demanded.
“Do not interrupt me,” a fired-up McGowan shot back. “Just give me, I’ve said nothing, and you keep talking!”
Host Abby Phillip could barely be heard over the din of the argument, appealing for calm. “You just said you want to get rid of him, but you don’t work with ICE,” he protested.
“Let’s let her make her point so we can understand what she’s trying to say. Go ahead,” Phillip cut in.
“That would be great. Thanks,” McGowan said flatly, staring at Ferguson.
She challenged the Trump administration to prove that ICE is rounding up the dangerous criminals it says it is, and not just racially profiling people on the streets.
But as she was in her flow, Ferguson once again chimed in, pointing to President Trump holding up images of deported criminals during a bizarre White House press conference earlier on Tuesday as proof that his deportation push was above-board. “You can’t stop yourself, man! Zip it!” McGowan snapped.
“No. I’m sorry. You’re not my mom. And second of all, you don’t get to make it up. We had the posters at the White House!” he responded.
Phillip noted that the administration has claimed to have arrested thousands of hardened criminals, but only a few photos were shown during the press conference.
“Prove you’re not rounding up line cooks and roofers and abuelas and health care workers, and you’re giving them actual due process and cause. Prove you are saving innocent lives and not just taking them on the street. Prove you have any sort of system that you aren’t just arbitrarily setting up checkpoints and pulling people out that are brown or Asian or Black,” an impassioned McGowan demanded.
She and Ferguson began jostling again, but Phillip pulled the plug, quickly going to a commercial break.
