A debate between CNN political commentator Angela Rye and former Trump adviser Jason Miller quickly got out of hand while discussing Ivanka Trump’s “family separation” comments.
Rye declared that Donald Trump is not her president, and went so far as to claim that those who enforce immigration policies that separate children from their parents are just like the slave traders who brought Africans to North America.
Earlier in the day, Ivanka said she “vehemently was against separating families at the border.” Rye and Miller squared off on CNN’s “Cuomo Prime Time,” and debated if the comments “were enough.”
The debate started off civilly until Rye complained about Miller repeating himself.
“If we are going to call this the great debate, then don’t put me on with someone who is just part of the open border crew, who just wants to essentially not have any borders,” Miller fired back
He added, “Clearly you don’t want to enforce the border laws.”
Rye interrupted, “No, what I don’t what to enforce is your president’s nonsense. Come on, man. You guys know that this policy is ass backwards, plain and simple. You guys know this policy is inhumane, plain and simple. Like, if you just take yourselves out of it for just a moment, take off the lenses of bigotry for just a moment, and imagine if this was happening to kids.”
Miller interrupted, “So now we are getting into the name-calling?”
Rye responded, “Yes, we are. I’m calling this process — this procedure is absolutely based on bigotry and fear-mongering. If you don’t understand that your president announced his campaign —”
Miller said, “‘My president?’ He’s our president, Angela.”
“No, he’s not mine, not mine. I will never claim a bigot, ever, ever,” Rye said.
Rye responded to Miller’s claims of being rude, saying, “The only person that’s rude is you. … This is over, you have nothing to add except for asking me if I’m Canadian. And no I’m not. I wish I could tell you where from Africa my ancestors came from, at least part of them, but I wouldn’t know because the same bigots who are sending people back away from their children are the ones that brought my ancestors here on a slave ship. Congratulations.”
Cuomo pried into the conversation, saying, “We both know what Angela’s point is. She says she doesn’t accept Trump’s politics, but obviously he’s the president of the United States, everybody knows that.”
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Following the break, Cuomo brought on Don Lemon to clarify Rye’s comments.
Lemon, who is surprised to be on the air, was asked by Cuomo, “What do you make of Rye’s comments about not my president?”
Lemon explained, “Well, he is our president. He was elected, right. He is our president. But I understand some people have some really strong feelings about this president; many people said the same things about the last president.”
Lemon went on to say, “I think he’s the president of the United Stated, and listen, Angela is an American citizen. She is free to feel how way she wants to feel.”
Cuomo also addressed with Lemon “she said, I’m an American and I wish I could tell you where my family is from exactly in Africa but I can’t because they were brought here as slaves by the same bigots who are doing this on the border now.”
Lemon answered, “Well, I think, (paused) Oh I know people find what this administration is doing is so egregious, many people can understand why she says not my president. But there is a larger truth to what she says. And each of us as anchors here on CNN you know we went back and traced our roots and I don’t know where my family is from. I have no idea.”
“I think her larger point is that we haven’t in this country dealt with racism in a substantial way, we refuse to talk about it.”