Trump official bashes host after being fact-checked in real time

Acting deputy secretary of Homeland Security, Ken Cuccinelli, attacked a CNN host live on air after she fact-checked him before closing his laptop to the interview.

"Boy! You're a left-wing hack!" Cuccinelli yelled at host Erica Hill when she nailed him on the myth of "birth tourism" by immigrants.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the U.S. Constitution upholds birthright citizenship, effectively striking down a key executive order issued by President Donald Trump in the first months of his second administration. Arguing before the court, the Justice Department used a similar talking point that people come from all over the world to the U.S. to have their children so that they will be American citizens.

Cuccinelli claimed that it's "a full-blown industry in this country."

A study by the Immigration Policy Institute using data from the U.S. Census showed that approximately 0.7 percent of births in the U.S. "could be attributed to birth tourism." They aren't certain whether or not they are, but that is the maximum amount it could be.

Hill said as much as she spoke over Cuccinelli, attempting to interrupt her.

"There aren't concerns about it," Hill explained before also cutting in that a constitutional amendment would require a heavy lift and that the American people overwhelmingly support birthright citizenship.

"We appreciate you taking the time to join us," she said with a smile.

That's when Cuccinelli yelled, "Boy, you are a left-wing hack."

Not missing a beat, Hill replied, "Wow, it's unfortunate that you felt the need to say that. I appreciate you coming on to answer fair questions."

A previous conversation between former CNN host Jim Acosta and political commentator Wajahat Ali mentioned that far-right personalities who appear on the network often get angry when they're fact-checked or someone pushes back against them. His infamous example was Scott Jennings, who Ali recalled whining to the network, "because I was too mean."

"It's an egregious double standard for right-wing conservatives and [Donald] Trump supporters. And it's always been this way with corporate media. They've (conservatives) always worked the refs," said Ali at the time.

In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court upheld birthright citizenship, striking down Trump's executive order that would have denied citizenship to children born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrants or those on temporary visas.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that the 14th Amendment's citizenship clause, ratified in 1868, guarantees citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States." The Trump administration had argued the amendment was misunderstood for over a century and was intended only for freed slaves' children. However, the Court reaffirmed that birthright citizenship is a fundamental constitutional right. The narrow 5-4 margin alarmed legal experts, revealing how close the Court came to dismantling 156 years of established citizenship law.

- YouTube youtu.be