Two CNN contributors got into a sparring match on Monday during a panel discussion about special counsel Robert Mueller and the news that his team indicted President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his longtime associate Rick Gates earlier in the day.
Ed Martin, a conservative author and CNN contributor, responded to the indictment by suggesting that Mueller is corrupt and that he leaked the Manafort-Rick Gates document to damage Trump's past week of success, noting the country's GDP growth, Wall Street market numbers increasing, and the release of the John F. Kennedy assassination documents.
CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin dismissed his argument, saying the JFK files had nothing to do with their discussion of the Mueller indictments.
Former Democratic New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, another CNN contributor, then joined the discussion and accused Martin of using "Trump playbook" tactics of deflecting. She then discussed how Manafort and Gates were both indicted, in addition to Trump's former foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI as part of the Russia investigation earlier this summer.
"There were no leaks of that information," Quinn said.
"That's not true. That's not true. That's not true," Martin said repeatedly.
"Sir," Quinn shouted.
"It's not true, but it's not factually true," Martin said.
"Sir, then correct the facts, but hold on," Quinn responded.
Quinn later told Martin not to talk over her because that means he has nothing to say "but the same thing over and over again." She then went on to praise Mueller, arguing that he is a prosecutor well respected on both sides of the political aisle.
Martin and Quinn then sparred back and forth after Quinn repeatedly addressed him as "honey," which led Martin to say that she cannot call people "honey" anymore. He accused Quinn of misspeaking and then correcting herself, saying there is no plea agreement.
"I unlike the president can say I made a mistake," Quinn said. "I'm just accepting I made a mistake on national television unlike the president."
"Listen, here's the facts," Martin responded. "Everybody that runs a big campaign like Christine ran for her losing race for mayor knows lots of people volunteer and claim they're affiliated with a campaign and then this guy lied."
"He deserves to go to jail if that's the penalty for lying to the FBI, but after that you don't get blamed for every nitwit or guy who comes in and lies to the FBI," he added. "That's not how it works."
Martin then took a shot at Democrats and warned Quinn to be careful about who she criticizes, citing two Democratic politicians who abused their office. He mentioned former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer and former Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane.