CNN’s NewsNight devolved into chaos Tuesday after “Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary erupted during a heated panel discussion, declaring that his fellow guests were “all nuts!” as the segment spiraled out of control.
The clash came during a debate over the 2020 election, with CNN contributor Ana Navarro pivoting the conversation to what she described as recent federal misconduct.
“We are seeing this happen over and over again where the federal government is fabricating things, lying. Just in the last few weeks, we have seen cases involving federal agents with a Venezuelan national in Minneapolis who they claimed had charged them with a snow shovel and attacked them,” Navarro said.
O’Leary quickly fired back.
“What does that have to do with the ballot?!” he shot back, as host Abby Phillip interjected, “Stop, stop, stop.”
Navarro pressed her argument.
“The point is that they charged them criminally and when they went to court, evidence proved that what they had said was a lie, that this government lies. That’s the point.”
Phillip attempted to regain control of the panel, offering O’Leary what she called “a quick last word.” That invitation only poured fuel on the fire.
“Oh, wow. My last word is you’re all nuts!” O’Leary shouted.
Phillip, visibly frustrated, pleaded with the panel to dial it back.
“Guys, please. Look, we got to keep it together here, okay?” she said. “Honestly, I mean, there’s a way to talk about these things. If you don’t have anything to say, just say that and I won’t come to you next time.”
But the shouting match continued, with O’Leary and Navarro talking over each other as Phillip tried to steer the segment toward a conclusion.
“Excuse me! Excuse me! Stop! Kevin, stop!” Phillip said, before abruptly cutting to commercial.
The fireworks did not end there. Earlier in the broadcast, O’Leary and Navarro had sparred over Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s performance at the Munich Security Conference, which drew criticism after the New York Democrat struggled to answer whether the United States would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion.
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The exchange underscored the increasingly combative tone of prime-time cable panels, where debates often slide into cross-talk and personal jabs. What began as a discussion about election integrity quickly turned into a shouting match that left the host scrambling.
For viewers, the segment offered less policy substance and more prime-time spectacle. For CNN, it was another reminder of how quickly live television can veer off script.
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