'Just a provably false thing': CNN erupts after Republican refuses to say Trump lied

A CNN panel devolved into chaos and shouting on Thursday night during a discussion over former President Donald Trump's falsehoods, combatting them, and even whether to agree they were false.

Speaking to her panelists on "NewsNight," host Abby Phillip questioned whether Trump's falsities regarding hurricane relief represented "a different level of politicians behaving badly."

"To use a storm to say, 'Vote for me, not for the other guy,'" she trailed off.

"And suggesting that you have to wait until January for actual real relief when we know that relief is actually on the ground right now in Florida and the Carolinas," chimed in CNN's chief media analyst Brian Stelter.

He said misinformation reporters feel they've "lost" this week.

"There's nothing more to do," he said. "Like, it's become so extreme. So out of control. So many Americans have just lost the plot and lost connection to reality."

When Leigh McGowan, a social media host and content creator, suggested it's time to consider legislating against lies — a "fairness doctrine for the new millennium" because, she said, "you shouldn't be able to just lie to the American public" — the panel pushed back.

"Who decides the lies?" questioned Stelter.

"I'm all for truth but we tried that twice in American history and it was a horrific failure," said T.W. Arrighi, a former communications aide to Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).

As McGowan listed off right-wing falsehoods about Haitian immigrants and FEMA, she called it a "concerning reality," prompting Arrighi to respond her ideas of "censorship" represent a "concerning reality."

"Who draws the line? Like you said," Arrighi said, pointing to Stelter.

The panel devolved shortly thereafter when Arrighi asked, 'If somebody said, 'If this storm hit Charlotte or Palm Beach, not the hollers of western North Carolina, I think the response would be different,' is that a lie? Maybe not! It's an opinion."

He added, "Who's deciding?"

The question prompted the panelists to talk over each other for a few seconds, then devolved again after Marc Lotter, former strategic communications for the Trump campaign, said similar questions are also asked when citizens suggest millions are spent on sports arenas instead of on police and teachers.

"Guys hold on a second," Phillip tries to interject, to no avail. "Everyone, stop talking. Hold on a second. This is not what we're talking about. It's really just not."

Phillip then tired to correct the course of the conversation, and told her panel it's "not that hard to figure out."

"Trump says that they are not getting help in Republican areas. That is just false. It's just false. It's not an opinion. It's just a provably false thing. So let's just agree — can we agree that's a lie?"

Trotter didn't agree.

"I would say, what do the people think?" he asked.

The panel erupted into shouting — and groans — again.

Watch the clip below or at this link.