'Trying to make a moment': Heated exchange erupts between CNN anchor and GOP lawmaker

In a heated exchange, CNN anchor Pamela Brown and Congressman Rich McCormack (R-GA) accused each other of trying to 'make a moment' while speaking about the deportation of Maryland man Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia.

“Are we supposed to blindly trust the government when it alleges gang ties without providing the evidence to back it up? Again no, we don't know. Maybe he is, maybe he isn't but the administration hasn't provided that evidence,” Brown pressed.

“So realize that he was deported because he's here illegally,” Rep. McCormack replied, “He said I don't want to be deported because I'm afraid of going back to my country of origin. He was given that due process. The question is, can he be sent to El Salvador because of life threats, which has nothing to do with being part of MS-13 in and of itself; the MS-13 issue is another issue. And there is evidence, from what I understand, that will be presented. He may come back for a day for habeas, but he's not going to stay in the United States. He's here illegally. End of story.”

ALSO READ: 'Retribution or bust’: 'Secretary of Retribution' joins J6 leaders to demand mass arrests

“And you're right. He was given a protected status,” Brown noted.

McCormack quipped, “He's had that due process.”

“That doesn't mean he couldn't be deported elsewhere but do you agree, congressman, that there's a difference between being deported to a mega prison under the premise that this is a MS-13 gang member, which there hasn't been evidence to prove that, and being deported to another country where, you can you still have your liberty intact, versus this mega prison that is known—” Brown was cut off.

“So now you beg another question. Now, now let's say you're going to go to deport somebody to Venezuela. Let's say he's a gang member. Let's say it's somebody horrible and you deport them there. They're going to go to a bad jail. I promise you, Venezuelan jails are not good places. Matter of fact, we know for a fact that Venezuela has cleared some of their jailed people and sent them here. Do we say, oh, we can't send them back to Venezuela because their jails are too bad? We should keep those criminal elements here in our jails. I don't think that's what the American people want to hear. I don't think [that's what] our legal system was designed for. I think it's a false claim to try to make President Trump look bad, but I don't think it resonates with the people.”

The exchange became more heated when the pair questioned the facts each side was bringing to the table.

“This isn't a message. We're just asking the important questions based on facts and based on the fact the administration itself,” Brown pressed.

“You asked a very specific question, though,” McCormack quipped. “This was a question, you said, ‘Should we send them back to a mega prison if that's what we're going to do? because they can have bad treatment?’ My question is if they are somebody who's here illegally and they've broken the law, they're going to be sent back to that country, that country will determine their fate at that point."

“That wasn't proven in this case,” Brown interjected.

Ignoring the interruption, McCormack said, “It's a sovereign nation. These are the facts.”

Pressing him again Brown said, “I'm also talking about the facts here. If the administration is so confident in what it has done and that this is actually that this person is a member of MS-13, why isn't it proving this in court?

“The Supreme Court said it's going to be pushed back for further clarification from the lower court on what they exactly want done. Now, I know for a fact that when we have congressional inquiries or when we ask for the government to do something more, they can they can say, hey, this is what we're doing. But in this case, you have the president of one country agreeing with the president of another country. That individual should stay there at this point. Now, he may come back for a day of habeas, but he's not going to stay here either way,” said McCormack

Brown noted, “The Supreme Court did weigh in and say that that it agreed with the with that it agreed with the district judge saying that the U.S. administration."

McCormack interrupted again, “No, it did not. It did not. That's false.”

“Let me finish my sentence. congressman. I know you're trying to create a moment,” Brown said. “I understand you're trying to create a moment right now, that's self-serving. That's not serving our viewers.”

“I think we know who is trying to commit the moment here. We know that,” McCormack interjected.

Brown continued on with her question as McCormack replied, “That's not facts, just so you know.”

Watch the full interaction below or click the link.

- YouTube youtu.be