Jillian Michaels Sparks Heated CNN Clash Over Slavery Narrative

Fitness personality and Trump supporter Jillian Michaels ignited a contentious exchange on CNN’s “NewsNight” on 14 August after arguing that slavery, imperialism and racism cannot be attributed to a single race. Citing a disputed figure that “less than 2% of white Americans owned slaves,” Michaels said several Smithsonian museum displays present an overly racialized view of U.S. history. Anchor Abby Phillip, Democratic strategist Julie Roginsky and Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) pushed back, noting that American slavery was rooted in white supremacy. The discussion quickly descended into crosstalk as Phillip challenged Michaels to clarify her claims and Michaels accused the network of oversimplifying history. Clips of the segment spread widely on social media and were picked up by outlets across the political spectrum, with conservative sites praising Michaels for challenging what they called an anti-white narrative and liberal publications characterizing her comments as a meltdown. The debate comes as the Trump administration reviews Smithsonian content ahead of the United States’ 250th anniversary, an effort critics say risks sanitizing the historical record while supporters argue it will correct political bias in federally funded exhibits.