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 or maligned 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 actually very revealing, obviously, first, about Trump's view of the media in a free society and a democratic society, and how limited his view of that is," Brownstein said. "But even more importantly, he views the public sector government employees not as working for the public, but as working for him... His vision is that the federal government is there to execute his will, to reward his friends, punish his enemies [and] advance his goals with essentially no obligation to the public. And this is of a piece, I think this is very kind of philosophically consistent with the way he views the Justice Department and the way he views all of the departments... This is his vision of the federal government, his extension of his will with no independent statutory or constitutional obligation."
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 has been betrayed or backstabbed or maligned and lied about as president more than President Trump," Schilling said. "I think that's undeniable."
To this, the other panelist in the segment, Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright, was unable to stifle a laugh at Schilling's expense.
"This is all coming in light of the new ballroom, by the way, which needs to have NDAs around it," Schilling continued. "It's a security measure for the White House White House. You can't know everything about the white house and 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 at all times." Schilling claimed he did not, but Cornish remained unconvinced.
