CNN host Abby Phillip oversaw a heated debate Tuesday over President Donald Trump’s recent attacks against former President Barack Obama, which included him sharing an artificial intelligence-generated video of Obama being arrested and in prison.Trump shared the video on Sunday on social media after his director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, issued a report Friday accusing the Obama White House of a “treasonous conspiracy” by stating Russia aimed to help Trump win the 2016 presidential election.“He’s accusing a former president of treason, and on top of that, saying ... ‘It may not be right, but I’m gonna go after them anyway,’” Phillip said Tuesday. “What is he talking about? And what kind of country are we living in that is actually what he is doing?”Her panelists quickly clashed over the subject, as Republican consultant Brad Todd argued in a seeming attempt to excuse Trump’s behavior that Democrats have accused him of for several years of rigging the 2016 election with Russia’s help.“Oh my God,” replied Keith Boykin, a former White House aide to President Bill Clinton. “Why are we talking about this? This is not the issue. You’re trying to avoid the subject.”Todd noted that a spokesperson for Obama reiterated Tuesday that Russia tried but failed to manipulate any votes in the election. He appeared far angrier about “every liberal in America” supposedly believing otherwise, however, than about Trump accusing Obama.“You’re doing everything possible not to talk about the fact that the ... current president of the United States, just accused a former president of treason and suggested a prosecution of that former president with no evidence!” Boykin said. “That is the problem!”Boykin: The current president just accused a former president of treason and suggested a prosecution of that former president with no evidence.Todd: You can calm down. pic.twitter.com/kX0CYd9f4L— Acyn (@Acyn) July 23, 2025 “You can calm down,” Todd responded.“No, I’m not gonna calm down!” Boykin replied. “Why don’t you talk about that instead of talking about Obama?”Todd argued, “Because Obama just undid three years of Democrat mythology.”Todd was referencing a statement Tuesday from Obama spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush, who reaffirmed that Russia indeed “worked to influence” the 2016 election, but did not successfully manipulate any votes, which has been known since at least 2020.“[Russian President Vladimir] Putin and the Russian Government demonstrated a preference for candidate Trump,” a bipartisan Senate Intelligence Report stated at the time.Gabbard’s report and the fake video Trump shared only emerged after his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the late sex offender who died in jail while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, hit fever pitch — leading many to believe these stunts are mere distractions.“The problem is, this is what Trump does. He distracts everybody. He’s talking about President Obama because he doesn’t want to talk about Epstein,” said Boykin. “He’s doing everything possible except talking about Jeffrey Epstein because he’s trying to throw up distraction[s] so the people like you,” he added, “Todd, can come on TV and try to diffuse the issue.” Close