NewsNight’s Abby Phillip shut down an election-denier guest who said that President Donald Trump had the 2020 vote stolen from him.
The CNN panel were discussing Trump telling NBC over the weekend that “there are methods” to get around the constitutional bar on presidents standing for a third term in office. The 78-year-old later clarified that he’s “not joking.”
Political commentator Karen Finney spoke about Trump’s disregard for the “U.S. Constitution, the rule of law, our democracy,” and said the public ought to take him at his word.
At this point, Ashley Hayek, the executive director of pro-Trump nonprofit America First Works, chimed in with a discredited conspiracy theory about the 2020 election being stolen—even though there’s no evidence of widespread voter fraud in 2020, and Trump himself recently admitted he lost fair and square to Joe Biden.
“He would be elected four times [by 2028], but only serving [a] third since the 2021 [election] was stolen,” Hayek said, before she was swiftly shut down by the host.
“Wait, excuse me. Hold up,” Phillip said, shocked by Hayek’s comment.
“Seriously? We’re still doing that?” asked film producer Franklin Leonard.
Phillip’s stern rebuke continued: “Hold on, hold on, Franklin. Give me a second here. We are not doing that, OK? An answer to your question, we’re not doing it. Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. You don’t actually have to say the words out of your mouth, but I’m gonna say them. But continue."
Hayek, suitably admonished, continued and delved into musings about the future of the MAGA movement. “Well, if the election were held today, and this is why the left is so worked up about it, is because Donald Trump would win again. If there were an election held today, he had this approval that we just talked about,” she said.
“It was so high he would win again. But I think there’s other options for other Trumps, too. In 2028, it could be a JD Vance, Don Jr., down the road in 2044 it could be a Barron Trump. I think that the options are limitless here.”
The segment rolled on and even token NewsNight Republican Scott Jennings said he wouldn’t support Trump going for a third term. “No, it would not be constitutional for someone to serve a third term,” he said when asked if he would support it.
