Racist Trolls Target Abby Phillip Online After Her Powerful Response to Jillian Michaels on Slavery: One Disturbing Comment Goes Too Far

CNN’s Abby Phillip recently shared her insights on a controversial roundtable discussion from her “NewsNight” program, featuring Jillian Michaels, a fitness trainer-turned-MAGA influencer. The dialogue quickly gravitated towards sensitive topics of race and slavery as Michaels defended Trump’s initiative to revise exhibits at the Smithsonian and Kennedy Center that diverge from his vision of American culture. Michaels asserted that Trump was “not whitewashing slavery” and argued against attributing imperialism and racism exclusively to a single race. Phillip, however, challenged this notion, noting Michaels' claim that only 2 percent of white Americans enslaved individuals, which she deemed misleading. Phillip emphasized that many who didn’t own slaves still benefited from the systemic racism prevalent in American society. Michaels has since stood by her comments, claiming there were “more good guys than bad guys” during slavery. In contrast, Phillip firmly stated that slavery inherently involves race and underscores America’s historical context.