CNN’s Abby Phillip Criticizes Jillian Michaels Over Slavery Comments Amid Online Backlash

CNN anchor Abby Phillip criticized fitness trainer-turned-MAGA influencer Jillian Michaels for her remarks defending President Donald Trump's review of Smithsonian and Kennedy Center exhibits, which Michaels claimed were not whitewashing slavery and argued that slavery and racism cannot be tied to just one race. Michaels' claim that only 2 percent of white Americans owned slaves was called misleading by Phillip, who emphasized that many more benefited from the institution economically, politically, and culturally. Phillip framed slavery as America's original sin and stressed its essential role in understanding the nation’s history, countering Michaels and Trump's assertions that museums focus excessively on the negative aspects of American history. President Trump publicly supported Michaels’ views on social media, criticizing the Smithsonian for being overly focused on how bad slavery was, which Phillip highlighted as echoing Michaels’ argument. The debate sparked widespread online backlash and further discourse about race, slavery, and historical representation in cultural institutions. Phillip’s detailed monologues and social media posts underscored the importance of confronting the full scope of slavery’s impact rather than minimizing or reframing it.