CNN host Jim Sciutto repeatedly clashed with CNN political commentator Brad Todd in a debate over Trump's Department of Justice moving to drop charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the Ukraine war.
Sciutto pressed Todd to respond to recent reports from the Justice Department that several officials resigned in protest Thursday rather than comply with an order to drop a bribery case against Adams.
"This is normal," Todd said, referring to the resignation of several U.S. attorneys. "Every time a new president is elected, the U.S. attorneys are removed from their jobs."
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Sciutto pushed back, "No, it's not normal for them to resign in protest, a series of protests right, not just the New York Attorney assigned to the case, but then… they go to the Office of Public Integrity and they say 'no, we are not going to drop this case under pressure." He added, "That's not normal."
"It's absolutely normal," Todd said.
"They didn't do that after a change in the administration, they did it in protest to this decision," Sciutto said.
"They know they're going to get fired," Todd responded, later asking Sciutto after multiple interruptions: "Are you asking questions or are you on the panel?"
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In another discussion on the Ukraine War later in the same hour, Sciutto and Todd disputed former President Obama's legacy as the war continues between Russia and Ukraine.
"No Jim, that's false," Todd said. "Barack Obama let Russia keep Crimea after they invaded Crimea. He did nothing to stop it. That's just a false assertion."
"I understand you're not willing to criticize anything President Trump will say," Sciutto said.
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Russia and Ukraine have been at war since February 2022, when Russia first invaded its neighboring nation. Trump had repeatedly said while on the campaign trail that if he was president in 2022, the war would not have broken out - vowing to end it if re-elected.
On Wednesday, Trump said he had a "lengthy" call with Putin, which included the Russian leader agreeing to "immediately" begin negotiations over the war in Ukraine. Trump also spoke with Zelenskyy separately. After talks with both leaders, Trump said he would "probably" meet in person with the Russian leader in the near term, possibly in Saudi Arabia.
Fox News' Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
