CNN “NewsNight” panelist Bakari Sellers mocked “Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary’s attempt to sell President Donald Trump’s war in Iran on Wednesday as “a bunch of BS.”
During the heated conversation, Sellers addressed O’Leary, saying, “Explain to me right now, somebody who lives in South Carolina, Nebraska, Ohio: What is good right now for the American public going into a war where you do not understand that they’re going to close the Strait of Hormuz.”
Trump’s popularity dipped further in recent months amid criticism over his war with Iran as gas prices surged by over 50% since the initial attack in February.
U.S. farmers have also voiced concerns over rising fertilizer prices, due in part to Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Sellers asked the panel, “Why was the shutting off the Strait of Hormuz not actually something that Pete Hegseth and the rest of them thought about prior?”
Sellers continued, “Can somebody explain to me, like a fifth grader?”
O’Leary told Sellers: “The strategy was to go in there and change the dynamics in perpetuity.” He was interrupted by Sellers, who claimed, “We didn’t know what the hell we were doing.”
Continuing his defense of the war, O’Leary said, “I guarantee you two things before this is worked out, the strait will be open and probably policed by people around that region, because it’s in their best interest, and secondly, there are no friends in the world left for Iran.”
The MAGA-friendly Canadian businessman’s statement evoked a chuckle out of Sellers.
The “Shark Tank” star then went on to boast claims that Trump “changed the axis of power” and “at the end of the day, this is good for that region.”
O’Leary added, “We want to do business in growing jurisdictions. We want to sell stuff to people where their economies are growing. That’s what we’ve done for 200 years.”
To which Sellers said in response, “You just said a bunch of nothing.”
O’Leary fired back, claiming, “You make stuff in North Carolina. You make stuff in South Carolina. You have to sell it to somebody. You want to ship it to countries where they can afford it, where they make a lot of money, where the income per capita is very high.”
Seemingly unconvinced, Sellers replied, “You can’t sell me a bunch of BS. That’s what that was.”