Cleveland’s Pastor James Davis and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed yelled at each other for more than a minute straight on CNN’s Thursday broadcast of “New Day,” forcing host Alisyn Camerota to pull the plug on the segment.
The two guests had been brought on the panel to discuss ways to fix problems in the black community and how those goals would be achieved through the respective presidential candidates.
“The bottom line is, we need school choice,” stated Davis. “We have to pull the education system and put it back in the neighborhood and get it out of these unions’ hands, and the rest of it, because at the end of the day, irrespective of the numbers, it’s too slow. It’s not enough. It’s too little, too late.”
“You finally get the down trend and then the president goes out and has his victory, takes this victory lap over $250 increase in monthly income for the last eight years when inflation pretty much ate that in full, and so now we sit here with saying that mediocrity is wonderful,” he added. “We can’t bring this administration into accountability.”
“Okay, so that’s a different point,” Camerota cut in. “Hold on Pastor, let Mr. Mayor respond,” but Reed had already started talking.
“Are you going to let me speak this morning or just let the Pastor sit down and go on his un-interrupted diatribes?” he posed.
“The unemployment rate has been cut in half,” Reed continued. “More black people are graduating from high school than ever before. More black people are in college than ever before.”
At this point, Davis tried to take back the floor.
“It’s cut in half because,” he mustered before being interrupted by Camerota.
“Come on let the mayor speak for a moment.”
“10 percent more black people in the United States have health insurance than ever before,” Reed added. “The fact of the matter is, if you look at the statistics that measure how well people are doing by, black people have done better in the last eight years than they did in the previous 20.”
“Huh?” Davis interjected. “I’ll give you — I’ll give you an unscientific –”
“Oh, I’m sure you will give me an unscientific because you can’t give a real answer!”
The two guests continued to yell at each other until Camerota was forced to cut the segment short.
“Guys I can’t hear you,” Camerota yelled over the two arguing parties. “Gentlemen, Mr. Mayor. We can’t hear you when you speak over each other. Guys.”
“Alright, guys. Thank you for both of your perspectives. Thank you for the debate. We appreciate it. Thank you.”