'Bothsidesism!' GOP Pundit cornered on the difference between hyping lies and stating facts
Republican strategist Lance Trover and U.S. historian Tim Naftali CNN YouTube Screengrab)
U.S. historian Tim Naftali corrected Republican strategist Lance Trover on the difference between hyping dishonesty and calling out the truth on CNN’s “Table for Five.”
The debate kicked off when “Table for Five” host and CNN Anchor Abby Phillip asked Naftali if Democrats should stop using words like “fascist” when describing the antics of President Donald Trump, especially in the aftermath of the assassination of divisive influencer Charlie Kirk.
“When you use apocalyptic language, you're basically saying if the other side wins, it's over,” said Naftali. “In other words, you're saying the stakes are so high that you should contemplate the kind of actions that we don't want people to contemplate. So, I think the … apocalyptic language should just stop.”
READ MORE: Charlie Kirk was not 'assassinated’
“However,” continued Naftali, “if you find — and I have seen it myself — elements of authoritarianism and of the authoritarian approach to government, which seem to emanate from the current White House, as long as you can point to it and explain what you mean, as an analyst, you are responsible to say that.”
“So, [Trump’s] a fascist,” Trover said accusingly. “That’s what you’re basically saying.”
“Lance … my father survived a pogrom in Bucharest in WWII. I am very, very careful about how I use the term Naziism,” Naftali said. “Authoritarianism is something that can exist outside of the genocidal work of the Nazis. it is perfectly appropriate, as an analyst to talk about authoritarian regimes. These are regimes that speak of elections in a way that suggests they don't really want them to happen, or that the ones that go the wrong way [for them] were flawed…”
“That’s bothsidesism,” Trover said.
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“It’s not bothsidesism,” Naftali insisted.
Phillip conceded that the issue did not look to “be resolved at this table today.”
- YouTube youtu.be
