CNN Guest Sparks Controversy by Comparing Trump to Hitler in Heated Debate

A fiery exchange unfolded on CNN when Democratic strategist Aisha Mills dramatically compared former President Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler during a debate with Republican strategist David Urban. The confrontation took place on Erin Burnett’s show, where Mills attempted to frame Trump’s rhetoric on immigration as a dire threat to marginalized communities, including LGBTQ+ people of color like herself.

The debate was already charged when Mills said Trump’s comments about immigrants could lead to the execution of LGBTQ+ people of color. She used her own identity as a black lesbian to illustrate her fears about Trump’s potential return to power.

“As a black lesbian who Donald Trump doesn’t believe has genes as good as his, is he going to attempt to exterminate me when he gets elected?” Mills asked, referring to Trump’s controversial remarks about bloodlines and so-called “good genes.” She equated Trump’s immigration rhetoric with that of Adolf Hitler, claiming the former president wanted to purge immigrants and suggested he might also target people like her.

Mills continued, “This isn’t the first time we’ve heard this kind of talk from Donald Trump, and it reeks of authoritarianism. It also harkens back to a time of Hitler.”

The comparison to Hitler immediately sparked pushback from Urban, who was visibly taken aback by Mills’ inflammatory comments. Erin Burnett, sensing the heated nature of the debate, stepped in to ask Urban for his perspective. She inquired, “David, I mean, is this rhetoric, say you believe in the racehorse theory about bloodlines?”

Urban was clearly frustrated by the comparison to Hitler. He responded forcefully, “Listen, I’m not going to sit here and put up with this. I am a very good guest normally, but Aisha, for you to compare Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler on 10/7 is just shameful.”

He went on to defend Trump’s comments, arguing that Trump was specifically referring to illegal immigrants who had been convicted of serious crimes such as murder and rape, not immigrants as a whole. Urban tried to place Trump’s remarks in a broader context, attempting to distance the former president from the extreme accusations being made by Mills.

But the debate didn’t cool down from there. Mills became even more agitated, continuing to press her point with increasingly intense rhetoric. She repeated her earlier question about whether Trump would “exterminate” people like her, implying that his rhetoric was not just dangerous but genocidal in nature.

“Really? Why do you believe that, Aisha? Why do you believe that?” Urban asked, challenging Mills to explain the basis of her claims. Urban’s frustration was clear, as he tried to counter what he saw as hyperbolic and unfounded accusations.

Mills, however, did not back down. Instead, she doubled down on her position and escalated the confrontation further. “Because he’s damn near said it, that’s why, David. That’s why, OK, and I’m not gonna be lectured by some white man who has no idea what he’s talking about and is trying to rewrite history here!” she shouted.

Her aggressive response caught the attention of social media users, many of whom posted video clips of the exchange online. The video quickly went viral, with viewers on both sides of the political spectrum weighing in on the intensity of the debate. Critics pointed to the segment as yet another example of CNN allowing left-leaning guests to make inflammatory statements without sufficient pushback from the hosts or network.

Supporters of Mills praised her for standing up for marginalized groups and calling out what they see as the dangerous implications of Trump’s rhetoric. They argued that her comparison to Hitler, while provocative, was an important reminder of the historical dangers of dehumanizing language.

On the other hand, opponents saw Mills’ comments as irresponsible and extreme. They criticized her for invoking Hitler in a political debate, a comparison many felt was a gross exaggeration. Urban’s defenders argued that he was simply trying to engage in a reasonable discussion and that Mills’ use of identity politics and accusations of racism were a way to shut down any substantive conversation.

As the clip circulated, it became emblematic of the wider polarization in American political discourse. Many pointed out that comparing political figures to Hitler has become a rhetorical tool used far too frequently in modern debates, often undermining serious discussion. Others highlighted how identity politics can become a barrier to meaningful dialogue when it is used to deflect criticism or avoid addressing the substance of a debate.

The segment serves as a snapshot of the current state of political discourse on cable news, where emotional outbursts and hyperbolic comparisons often dominate over measured debate. The divide between left and right has grown so deep that even basic exchanges on political shows can devolve into accusations and personal attacks, leaving little room for common ground.

Whether Mills’ comments resonate with the public or are seen as an overreach remains to be seen, but the debate is sure to continue as political tensions in the country remain high.

HOLY SH— This is the second hour CNN has platformed unhinged Dem Operative Aisha Mills to call Trump Hitler, a eugenicist and suggest that he wants to “exterminate a group of people."

The segment devolves into chaos when David Urban has had enough, and debunks her lies about… pic.twitter.com/7oQu7QfPLE

— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) October 8, 2024

TRANSCRIPT:

AISHA MILLS, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Listen, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard this kind of talk from Donald Trump and it reeks of authoritarianism and it also harkens back to a time of Hitler, who used the same exact language that Donald Trump is now quoting to talk about the people who he thinks are poisoning the blood of the nation.

You know all of this smells like an affinity towards eugenics which really should give us all pause because when we remember the last person — the last awful authoritarian dictator who believed in eugenics it was someone who really uh wanted to exterminate an entire people because they thought that they didn’t have good genes, and because they were trying to create a certain type of race. Donald Trump has himself said that his parents, his father raised him to believe that they were superior to others because they had good genes.

Now, what does that mean? The way he’s talking about it is he wants to purge the immigrants, right? He wants to get rid of all of the immigrants and has said that he would do some pretty nasty harmful things to them because they don’t have good genes.

I don’t think that this is just rhetoric. I think that we need to take this —

DAVID URBAN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Oh, come on.

MILLS: — seriously and understand where his inspiration comes from. And today of all days, it is just really savage that this is who he’s quoting and that he’s quoting Hitler.

URBAN: Come on, Erin, I don’t want to swear —

BURNETT: David, I mean is this rhetoric, say you believe in the racehorse theory about bloodlines?

URBAN: Listen, I’m not going to sit here and put up with this. I am a very good guest normally but, Aisha, for you to compare Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler on 10/7 is just shameful.

Number one, he was talking about murderers, people who came into this country and murdered Americans, okay? So let’s not try to string together a bunch of quotes that weren’t put together there, different points in time to try to make it look like something he didn’t say.

He was talking about 26,000 people, rapists and murderers in this country, and he said in my opinion and it’s not just Donald Trump’s opinion, there are scientific studies out there about nature or nurture about murderers, whether they have some sort of genetic predisposition to murder people and he’s talking about the people who murdered Americans, not eugenics not some made BS, Aisha. So, listen, I’m sorry that Donald Trump feels like standing up for people who may have been murdered by immigrants and want to deport illegal immigrants who are here — criminal, violent, aliens — and want to kick them out of our country to protect Americans, but that’s okay in my case.

He’s not talking about eugenics. He’s not — to compare him with Adolf Hitler today, I find it particularly offensive.

MILLS: Listen, we can fact-check this all — all day long.

URBAN: So just stop, so just stop.

MILLS: David’s hot — David’s hot air is not going to rewrite the history of the words that Donald Trump himself has used. This is fact.

URBAN: Aisha, read the words he used today.

MILLS: He has long talked about genetics. Well, I’m talking about the history of everything he’s ever said. So you can have short-term memory, David, for the sake of going into an election and like doing Donald Trump’s bidding, but this as an American —

URBAN: Aisha, let’s talk about Kamala Harris’s short-term memory.

MILLS: — makes me really concerned. As a Black lesbian who Donald Trump doesn’t believe has genes as good as his, is he going to attempt to exterminate me when he gets elected?

URBAN: Really? Why do you believe that, Aisha? Why do you believe that?

MILLS: Because he’s damn near said it, that’s why, David. That’s why. Okay, and I’m not going to be lectured by some white man who has no idea what he’s talking about, and is trying to rewrite history here.

URBAN: Aisha, shame on you, Aisha. Erin —

MILLS: I am afraid, as an American, of a Donald Trump presidency and his actual quotes on why —

URBAN: Shame on you, Aisha.

MILLS: — because I take him seriously, and I think that he believes what he says and that is why he is a danger and a threat to America.