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CNN’s Abby Phillip debuts ‘the new I have black friends,’ only with ‘MAGA people’

November 3, 2025 | | Print Article

CNN’s Abby Phillip debuted “the new I have black friends” as she explained how she keeps herself in the know on conservatives’ so-called “information silos.”

“… it’s not that complicated.”

Not far behind the likes of congressional hearings and ABC’s “The View,” which appear more focused on generating viral social media content than their stated purposes, “CNN NewsNight” has become a fixture of hot takes and fiery exchanges. Amid a media circuit to promote her new book about Jesse Jackson, Phillip claimed to understand “MAGA people” because she talks to them on a daily basis.

Joining host Jon Favreau, a one-time director of speechwriting for then-President Barack Obama, on his “Pod Save America” podcast, Philip was asked about MAGA politics after a back-and-forth about providing a platform for voices on the right.

“Do you feel like you better understand what drives MAGA politics because of the show?” posited Favreau, to which the guest responded, “Yeah, yeah? Yeah.”

“I mean … I talk to tried and true, dyed-in-the-wool MAGA people every single day,” continued Phillip. “And, um, and so, yeah, I understand where they come from, I understand the information silos that they’re in that make it hard to see the outside of it, and it’s not that complicated. I mean, I think that they like winning. And [President Donald] Trump is winning … in their minds. So, in a way — to me it boils down to mostly that.”

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The latest statement from the CNN host came on the heels of admitting her network’s bias during an appearance on “The Breakfast Club” days earlier, where she said, “I would say it’s fair to say that CNN — we’re not Fox News, but we’re also not MSNBC. We’re probably center-left. And I think that has a lot to do with our audience.”

“When you actually watch CNN, we have Republicans on every hour of the day, every single one. I’m pretty sure — maybe with very few exceptions — but virtually every hour of the day,” Phillip contended as though providing moments of differing opinions brought balance to slanted reporting like “fiery but mostly peaceful protests.”

“So they’re not always on in the context that we put them on, but we as a network have a diversity of viewpoints on the air more so than our competitors,” she further claimed.

Conservative radio host Scott Jennings, whom Phillip recently clashed with over concerns about New York mayoral frontrunner State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani’s (D) ties to 1993 World Trade Center bombing unindicted co-conspirator imam Siraj Wahhaj, is included in those ranks, and Favreau specifically asked her about the frequent “CNN NewsNight” guest’s politics.

“I think he has seen Trump win on the culture issues, on the economic issues — on all of that — and he’s willing to give him a pass on things that maybe he’s slightly queasy about privately, because I think he believes that going against Trump is a bad idea, because Trump keeps winning,” said Phillip.

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Her talks resulted in many calling her out for existing in her own “information silo,” while others noted the clip represented just the latest fodder served up for social media snark.

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Kevin Haggerty
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