Abby Phillip isn’t afraid to let MAGA voices speak out. On October 28, 2025, she appeared on The Breakfast Club , per The Daily Beast, and explained why she gives such guests a platform even though CNN has cut off MAGA guests on occasion.
“I get a lot of criticism from the left, from people who are like, ‘Why does she have MAGA people on the show?’ And it’s like, well, you should know what they are saying,” she said. “Half the country voted for Trump and for Trumpism, and it’s not helpful to be completely unaware of what is happening in those media ecosystems.”
Phillip believes understanding all perspectives, even MAGA ones, is essential. “This is a time in our political life where we have to really know what’s going on, and we have to know what everybody is saying on all sides of the issue because I don’t think that ignorance has served anybody well,” she told The Breakfast Club. She wants viewers to hear the full picture, even when it’s uncomfortable.
Born in Alexandria, Virginia, and raised in Bowie, Maryland, Phillip grew up learning the value of asking questions and seeking truth. On The Kojo Nnamdi Show, she shared how her Trinidadian parents moved to D.C. so her father could finish school, and how she fell in love with reporting while writing for The Harvard Crimson.
After Harvard, Phillip worked at Politico and The Washington Post, covering national politics. In 2017, she joined CNN as a White House correspondent. By 2021, she was anchoring Inside Politics, and by 2023, she was leading CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip, making her one of the most visible Black women in political journalism.
Her approach to hosting MAGA voices is careful and deliberate. “I don’t do it that often,” she told The Breakfast Club. “When I do, it’s like when your mom really tells you it’s time to stop. That’s kind of how I want it to be… you know that when I’ve reached my limit, it’s the end.” She wants to let people speak, but within a framework of accountability.
Statement: @abbydphillip did not ask a “stupid” question today at the White House. In fact, she asked the most pertinent question of the day. The @realDonaldTrump’s personal insults are nothing new. And never surprising.
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) November 9, 2018
Her skills were tested early. In 2018, she asked President Trump if he wanted Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker to “reign in Special Counsel Robert Mueller.” Trump called it “a stupid question” and refused to answer. Phillip stayed calm, focused on the substance rather than the insult. “I didn’t take it personally. I knew it wasn’t a stupid question. It touched a nerve because it was worth pressing on,” she told The Kojo Nnamdi Show. This moment taught her the value of keeping a level head while holding powerful figures accountable.
After Jillian Michaels Had An Absolute Meltdown Defending White People During Slavery, CNN Host Abby Phillip Responded
“Wow, nothing says ‘I get it’ quite like Jillian Michaels having a meltdown over a historical issue! 🙄 The struggle to recognize perspective is real. Shoutou… pic.twitter.com/6flkoEcyv7
— Bulletin (@agent_bulletin) August 21, 2025
That experience shaped her approach so that when fitness guru Jillian Michaels claimed in August that “only two percent of white Americans owned slaves,” Phillip corrected her on air. “Slavery in the United States was about race. It was about white supremacy, and it was really, really bad,” she set the record straight.
Phillip has grown into a journalist who balances tough questions with letting all guests speak their truths. She believes dialogue, even with opposing views such as MAGA, educates audiences and strengthens democracy. “We have to know what everybody is saying,” she says. Her method shows that understanding doesn’t mean agreeing—it means listening, correcting misinformation, and keeping the focus on facts.
