Shermichael Singleton to Abby Phillip: You Are Not Going to Dictate the Way I Answer to this Show

PHILLIP: “He signed two executive orders ordering investigations, weaponizing his Justice Department against people who just disagree with him. How does that — how do you justify that?”
SINGLETON: “I mean, look, politically, you know, my advice to the president on this one would be continue to focus on strengthening the economy. You got to figure out a way to bring down cost, keep doing what you’re doing as it pertains to immigration. We need to increase chip manufacturing within the United States. There are several political things that I think — “
PHILLIP: “Okay, Shermichael, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on.”
SINGLETON: “That’s what I focus on.”
PHILLIP: “Okay, okay, okay. All right, Shermichael. I get it. I get it. Yes, he should focus on the economy.”
SINGLETON: “Yeah, he should.”
PHILLIP: “But what do you think about the fact that he’s targeting his political enemies using executive orders and telling his Justice Department — “
SINGLETON: “I just wouldn’t focus on this. I wouldn’t focus on this.”
CROSS: “But we are focused on it, Shermichael. And you just said — but, Shermichael —
SINGLETON: “Can I answer — “
CROSS: “Well, you haven’t answered. Well, you have not answered — “
SINGLETON: “Wait a minute. I did answer, just didn’t answer the way you wanted me to answer. You don’t get to dictate my comments to my response on this show.”
CROSS: “But your comments are not directed to the issue that we’re discussing, that she asked.”
SINGLETON: “No, because my response was — “
CROSS: “And furthermore, Shermichael — “
SINGLETON: “ — the focus should be — okay. All right. Just go ahead.”
PHILLIP: “Hang on a second. Hang on a second. Tiffany? Tiffany, one second. I mean, listen, Shermichael, you’re a friend of the show. You’re my friend. Please answer the question.”
SINGLETON: “I answered the question the way I want — “
PHILLIP: “I mean, I think that — no, no — but here is — “
SINGLETON: “No one’s going to dictate the way I answer questions on the show. You may not like the way I answer the question, but I gave an answer and I don’t like that. We’re not — “
PHILLIP: “The question is — “
SINGLETON: “We’re not going to do dictating reply the way I want you to reply. Then just don’t ask me a question if you don’t like my response. I mean, this is ridiculous.”
PHILLIP: “Hold on, Tiffany. Shermichael, you don’t get to — “
SINGLETON: “Do we not live in a democracy now?”
PHILLIP: “You don’t get to just change — “
SINGLETON: “I mean, we talked a lot about a democracy tonight. I guess not on this show.”
PHILLIP: “You don’t get to just change the subject to avoid having to say something — “
SINGLETON: “I didn’t change the subject. I did not change the subject.”
PHILLIP: “ — that might be perceived as negative about Donald Trump.”
SINGLETON: “You just didn’t like my answer to your question.”
PHILLIP: “Well, that’s what it seems like it. If you were a politician, a regular person on the street would say, ‘Well, that sounds like spin to me.’”
SINGLETON: “No, no. You asked a question —“
PHILLIP: “Because it does sound like a spin.”
SINGLETON: “ — and my response to your question was, instead of doing this, the president should be focused on X, Y, and Z.”
CROSS: “May I respond to this?”
SINGLETON: “That is an answer to the question.”
MOORE: “This is why it’s so dangerous, and this is an example of why it’s so dangerous. And that is because nobody wants to speak out against it. You know, we’ve been waiting for Republicans, whether it be in Congress or wherever they are, to come up and actually say that we’re not going to let Trump’s power go unchecked. And when he does something wrong, something illegal, something outside the bounds of the history in the, you know, the department, they sit quiet.”
JENNINGS: “Is it illegal? Do you believe what he did is illegal?”
MOORE: “Absolutely.”partment, they they sit quiet.