CNN descended into chaos on Monday night when a heated discussion over Donald Trumps support for minority groups boiled over.
Keith Boykin, political commentator and film producer, interjected in an animated debate about Trumps support going into the election, saying Trump was only in a dead heat with Kamala Harris because of white people.
If it were up to Black people or Latinos, Asian-Americans and other people of color, he would lose in a landslide, he said, citing Trumps poor track record with Black, Latino and Asian people in 2016 and 2020.
As former Trump advisor David Urban pushed back, Boykin advanced his argument, claiming Trump is in the lead because he protects and projects the idea of protecting white supremacy.
Madison Gesiotto Gilbert, Republican political candidate and former pageant queen, joined cries of thats ridiculous as host Abby Phillip pressed Boykin on his assertion.
David Urban and Keith Boykin engaged in a heated debate over Trumps support on NewsNight
Abby Phillip asked Boykin why Trump appears to be gaining with Black voters
A panel of mixed views gathered to discuss Trumps support among different groups
Boykin, Urban and Gilbert were joined by Ana Navarro-Cárdenas and Brian Stelter on Mondays NewsNight, representing a mixed group of political positions.
The panel discussed news RFK Jr would stay on the Michigan ballot despite announcing his intentions to step back, and Nikki Haleys urge for Trump to avoid calling Kamala Harris dumb.
Conversation was civil and amicable until the topic of Trumps support among minority groups came into focus.
Abby Phillip invited David Urban and Keith Boykin to weigh in on Trumps wider enduring appeal as the conversation developed, focusing more on his support among minority groups.
Theres that 47 per cent, 48 per cent ceiling where Trump is - and maybe thats enough, assessed Urban, a senior advisor to Trump during his 2016 and 2020 campaigns.
A poll conducted for CNN during the last week of August showed Harris with a one-percentage-point lead in the state, 48%-47%, with Trump getting 10% of the Black vote.
Despite knowing all this, despite the guys flaws, his warts, hes in a dead heat... he may be the president again because thats how terrible this administration is.
Boykin interjected to rebut Urbans claims, saying: This is what really bothers me when we have this discussion. I never really talk about this because its not political correct to say but...
Hes in a dead heat because of White people. The majority of people support Donald Trump. They supported him in 2016. They supported him in 2020. They will probably support him in 2024.
If it were up to Black people and Latinos and Asian Americans and other people of colour, he would lose in a landslide.
Urban refuted the assertion, claiming Trump was gaining among Hispanic voters.
Trump did win 35 per cent of the Hispanic votes from the 2020 election.
About 4 in 10 Hispanic adults in the recent AP-NORC polls see Trump positively, up from about 3 in 10 in January 2021.
This is below the nationwide figure of around 4 in 10 - with 60 per cent of Americans viewing Trump unfavourably, according to the poll.
The panel began talking over each other as Boykin tried to step back in.
Britain Stelter supported his argument, saying it is still about White dominance.
Boykin continued, saying Trump only finds such support among White voters because he protects and projects the idea of protecting White supremacy.
Thats whats resonating. People are talking about economic anxiety in 2016 and then Trump went off and he led a cavalcade of racism, he said.
No thats ... Keith, thats crazy. Be serious, Urban pressed.
Im 100% sure, Boykin insisted.
Phillip stepped in as moderator, asking Boykin why Trump is improving with Black voters.
Hes not, Boykin said, to rebuttal from Urban.
A poll by the Washington Post-Ipsos conducted between August 23 and September 3 found 82 per cent of Black voters would definitely or probably to vote for Harris, up from 74 per cent for Biden in April.
The share of Black voters saying they are likely to vote also appears to be on the rise. Support for Trump meanwhile fell from 14 per cent to 13 per cent in the same period.
About 7 in 10 Black adults have an unfavorable view of Trump, a decrease of about 20 percentage points since early 2021. And although the Trump campaign has said Black men may be more receptive to his message, Black men and women have similar views of him.
Brian Stelter (right) reacts as Urban claims Trump is still in a dead heat with Kamala Harris
Urban said Boykins claims were crazy as the panel descended into heated discussion
Janiyah Thomas, Black media director at the Trump campaign, said the former president had a proven track record of creating opportunities for the Black community.
To every Black American struggling to make ends meet, our message is clear: vote for the candidate who has consistently delivered on promises, she added.
In August and September 2019, while Trump was president, the Black unemployment rate reached a new low of 5.3%. Under Biden, the rate fell even lower, to 4.8%, in 2023.
Action Network put Trumps chances of winning Tuesday nights debate at 9/4, behind Harris odds of 1/3.