CNN guests Terry Schilling (left) and Antjuan Seawright (right) during a panel on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. (Image: CNN via screengrab)
A conservative panel guest drew chuckles and derision during a recent CNN segment, with other panelists laughing in his face as he leapt to Donald Trump's defense, claiming that he was the most "betrayed or backstabbed ormaligned and lied about" president.
The incident took place during a segment on Wednesday's edition of CNN This Morning, concerning reports that the Trump administration is considering a new policy to require federal workers to sign non-disclosure agreements, part of its ongoing obsession with stemming the tide of leaks. Per the reports, these workers would be required to "safeguard non-public, confidential or proprietary information, created or obtained through their official duties."
Panelist Ron Brownstein, one of CNN's senior political analysts, argued that this NDA proposal was "revealing" about how Trump views the value of a free press in a democratic society, as well as his belief that government employees work for him, and him alone.
"This proposal is actuallyvery revealing, obviously,first, about Trump's view of themedia in a free society and ademocratic society, and howlimited his view of that is," Brownstein said. "But even more importantly, heviews the public sectorgovernment employees not asworking for the public, but asworking for him... Hisvision is that thefederal government is there toexecute his will, to reward hisfriends, punish his enemies [and]advance his goals withessentially no obligation to thepublic. And this is of apiece, I think this is very kindof philosophically consistentwith the way he views the Justice Department and the wayhe views all of the departments... This is hisvision of the federalgovernment, his extension of hiswill with no independentstatutory or constitutionalobligation."
Later, Terry Schilling, a Republican political strategist and president of the American Principles Projecy, offered his defense of Trump's mindset in approaching this new policy.
"No one hasbeen betrayed or backstabbed ormaligned and lied about aspresident more than President Trump," Schilling said. "I think that'sundeniable."
To this, the other panelist in the segment, Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright, was unable to stifle a laugh at Schilling's expense.
"This is allcoming in light of the newballroom, by the way, whichneeds to have NDAs around it," Schilling continued. "It's a security measure for the White House White House. You can't knoweverything about the white houseand its designs for it."
Host Audie Cornish appeared, at this point, to be incredulous about Schilling's stance, suggesting that he had "100 percent trust in the government atall times." Schilling claimed he did not, but Cornish remained unconvinced.