CNN’s Abby Phillip Stuns Table by Cursing Live On Air: ‘I Can Say It If Trump Says It’

The CNN Newsnight table erupted in laughter when anchor Abby Phillip blurted out an expletive live on the air, then quipped that if President Donald Trump says it, “I can say it.”

As the Iran War entered its fourth month on Monday, news broke that Iran has walked away from negotiations, and Trump told one reporter, “I don’t care if they’re over, honestly.” and that “Frankly, I thought they started to get very boring.”

But another bombshell report also drew attention: an expletive-laden phone call between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

On Monday night’s edition of CNN NewsNight, Phillip hosted a panel that included Joe Borelli, Yemisi Egbewole, Lydia Moynihan, Joe Cunningham, and Josh Rogin to discuss the developments in the war.

But Phillip briefly derailed things with a “sidebar” on the Netanyahu call when she dropped an unexpurgated F-bomb or two:

ABBY PHILLIP: So, sidebar in all of this was this kind of back and forth with Israel. Trump said this morning, He had a productive call with Netanyahu, there will be no troops going to Beirut because this is one of the reasons the Iranians called off talks this morning. Meanwhile, Netanyahu says, if Hezbollah doesn’t cease attacking to our cities, Israel will attack terror targets in Beirut. And he says, the IDF will continue to operate as planned in southern Lebanon.

That’s the public facing part of this. Apparently in the private part of this, “Axios” reports that Trump said to Netanyahu, “You’re f*cking crazy. You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me. I’m saving your *ss. Everyone hates you now. Everyone hates Israel because of this. A second source briefed on the call says Trump was pissed and yelled at Netanyahu at one point, what the f*ck are you doing?”

YEMISI EGBEWOLE: I didn’t know we could say that word.

(LAUGHING)

PHILLIP: I can tell — I can say like it says —

(CROSSTALK)

ROGIN: We all giggled like schoolgirls like —

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIP: I can say it if the President says it.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIP: But this is, I don’t know, I think it shows a lot of things, including some rifts in the relationship, but also Trump’s deep frustration here that — he can’t even really fully control Israel, and then Israel is maybe standing in the way of him getting what he needs out of Iran.

EGBEWOLE: Back to who’s in the driver’s seat, which is something that Democrats had brought up what feels like six months ago about this entire war. And the fact that it was Netanyahu’s pushing and doing, and Trump saying, no, no, I’m doing this of my own volition. And then he sent out Secretary Marco Rubio, who really is a good messenger for the Trump agenda.

But then when he, I mean, in comparison, comparatively, comparatively. But then when push comes to shove, who really is in the driver’s seat? And I do think that that the President does underestimate Bibi Netanyahu. Look, look, he was here before Trump. He will be here after Trump. This is not his first tussle with an American president.

Watch above via CNN NewsNight.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!