On CNN Thursday night, Sally Kohn sparred with Tea Party News Network’s Scottie Nell Hughes over Donald Trump calling out Hillary Clinton for using “the woman card.” Hughes defended Trump’s statement while Kohn claimed that it was worse on Trump’s side because “most of his supporters are only voting for him because he’s a white guy.
After host Erin Burnett asked Hughes if Trump “should’ve been saying that” about Clinton using the “woman card,” Hughes defended his words as a pre-emptive attack against Clinton’s oft-touted record as the first female presidential candidate:
SCOTTIE NELL HUGHES: We knew she was going to go after him and use that as an attack after anybody that went her on her record. And so I think all that Mr.Trump is doing is neutralizing this gender issue and encouraging that once they go one-to-one, we take out the emotion of gender and just look at policy and who has the best plan for America. He's just taking care of that now.
At that, CNN’s Sally Kohn scoffed and replied, that Hillary was “the most qualified candidate running, period,” adding that “if we’re going to go there” that Trump uses his “white man card” to win his voters, saying:
“Look, people are only voting for Donald Trump, most of his supporters are only voting for him because he's a white guy. And frankly, if he were a woman or if he were, I don't know, let’s pick, Latino, Muslim, any of the groups that he's stoked hatred amongst his supporters, if he were any of those, I don't think he would be getting support either.”
Hughes, as a Trump supporter, pushed back, saying Kohn’s characterization of herself and other Trump supporters, was sexist itself.
See the full transcript from CNN’s Erin Burnett OutFront April 28, 2016.
SALLY KOHN: You know I'm not a Hillary supporter. She's still the most qualified candidate running, period. And number two, if we're going to go there, fine. Look, people are only voting for Donald Trump, most of his supporters are only voting for him because he's a white guy. And frankly, if he were a woman or if he were, I don't know, let’s pick, Latino, Muslim, any of the groups that he's stoked hatred amongst his supporters, if he were any of those, I don't think he would be getting support either. So, you know, if you want to talk about gender and race, let's talk about gender and race and really talk about the policies that these candidates support. She's the best candidate for women, and for men for white voters, for voters of color. That's what people are deciding on. That's why they're supporting her. And she's a woman. Thank god it's time we need a president who is a woman.
SCOTTIE NELL HUGHES: I think that's very sexist for you to say right there.
KOHN: [scoffs] Oh, I'm the sexist. Okay.
HUGHES: You have to sit there and look at -- I think that's sexist to say people are only voting for him because he's a white male. That’s not why. I do admit, some women are going for Hillary because they want the first female president. I give women a lot more trust than that, I give them more credit-- they're looking at the policies of these candidates and not necessarily what body parts they have or don't say.
KOHN: Scottie, I’m saying her gender is a factor in her candidacy, it is a factor, but it is certainly a factor in his -- it is certainly a factor in his too. And if you don't think he's been running to demonize communities of color in this country and to demonize women--
HUGHES: Absolutely not.
KOHN: He’s called them disgusting pigs, fat slobs, cmon, he’s making gender an issue.
