Politics

CNN’s Chris Cuomo Challenges Kellyanne Conway About Trump’s Drug Pusher Death Penalty

No featured image available

CNN’s “New Day” host Chris Cuomo got into a spat Friday with White House Adviser Kellyanne Conway over the idea of giving drug pushers the death penalty.

The Department of Justice recommended the idea Wednesday, and President Donald Trump echoed the concept. Tough talk won’t work to stem the drug crisis, Cuomo said and pivoted to debating the death penalty’s merits.

“There’s a place for tough talk,” Cuomo said. “The tough talk about let’s kill the drug kingpins — I know that that appeals to the base, and harshness is often perceived as strength; but you’re not going to punish your way out of this problem. You know that, right?”

“The death penalty is barely a deterrent on any level let alone when it comes to addiction,” Cuomo continued. “And it’s not about killing the drug kingpins. Nobody’s gong to defend the drug kingpins; but you’re not going to punish your way out of the problem, no matter how good that sounds.”

“You may think no one is defending the drug kingpins — some are — but very few have been punishing them,” Conway replied. “What the president is saying is, and he’s absolutely right, that we don’t have tough sentences because a lot of those minimum sentences go by the weight of the drug.”

“You can change the sentencing; I’m just saying the call was to kill them,” Cuomo shot back. “He said kill drug dealers; that’s what caught people’s attention.”

“Well, good,” Conway replied. “Not good,” Cuomo said. “I don’t think that gets you out of the problem.”

You can Follow Nick on Twitter and Facebook