CNN maniacs lose their minds over Nick Sandmann’s powerful speech calling them out

In January, Sandmann settled his lawsuit for $275 million against CNN who irresponsibly smeared the then-high school student's reputation.

CNN opinion writer Jeff Yang claimed that he watched Sandmann's RNC testimony "with an open mind." Directly addressing the now-Covenant Catholic graduate, Yang tweeted that he tongue-in-cheek believed he could be convinced that Sandmann was "an innocent victim of a cruel media."

"In prior comments, you’ve said that you and your classmates were reacting to a handful of Black Israelites who were trying to disrupt the Native drum dance taking place at the monument, and the incident with Nathan Phillips was an incidental outcome of that other interaction," Yang moved on the offensive.

Yang then listed off an exhaustive string of "you said"s to Sandmann, asserting that the young conservative reportedly "harbored no ill will" towards Nathan Phillips, respected the Native American activist's right to protest, "would not comment on the account" of Phillips and "would not presume to know what is in his heart or mind," and wished to have walked away.

"You could have reiterated those things and extended a branch of peace to Mr. Phillips, a Marine veteran as you have noted, in the course of affirming that you meant no harm then or now and that you hope the lesson people take is not to judge books by their cover," Yang retorted.

Except, the 64-year-old Omaha Nation elder, who was captured on video in the face-off at the Lincoln Memorial, has a criminal record, the Washington Examiner reported. As a young adult, Phillips was charged for escaping prison, assault, and several alcohol-related crimes.

It also appears that Phillips misrepresented his military service in the United States Marines. In April 2018, he was quoted in Vogue stating: "You know, I’m from Vietnam times. I'm what they call a recon ranger. That was my role."

However, Phillips spent a majority of his time as a refrigerator technician, was not deployed outside the US, and never saw combat, according to the Marine Corps. Military records revealed that Phillips was discharged as a private and listed as Absent Without Leave (AWOL) three times, Townhall reported.

"Instead you framed Phillips as a malevolent aggressor," Yang continued the attack, "called the incident a calculated assault by the 'radical left,' and celebrated Trump as the patron saint of truth, honesty and media balance—a remarkable position to take even if you didn’t close with a MAGA red-hat flourish."

The viral footage initially showed a group of mostly white teenage boys in red "Make America Great Again" caps staring down demonstrators during the Indigenous Peoples March. Phillips included had purportedly felt threatened, telling the Washington Post: "It was getting ugly, and I was thinking, 'I've got to find myself an exit out of this situation and finish my song.'"

Sandmann, accused of refusing to allow Phillips to pass, soon became Public Enemy No. 1 across social media. Phillips led the charge to cancel the teenager, even hinting expulsion to the Cincinnati Inquirer.

Establishment media exploited the imagery's preconceptions: an aged minority surrounded by a pack of smirking pro-Trump predominantly white males. But in fact, the Catholic school students were themselves taunted with racial and homophobic slurs by a group of Black Hebrew Israelites.

"Y'all dirty-a** little crackers, your day is coming" was shouted at the adolescents on camera. And Phillips was the one who confronted Sandmann, unprovoked, and beat on the drum just inches from the youth's face to instigate conflict.

"You said you didn’t see the incident as something beneficial—rather, that it was destructive and horrific. But your speech tonight was a clear embrace of a role as a political symbol and conservative icon; a career move. It was your choice. I hope you end up satisfied with it," Yang concluded.

CNN political analyst Joe Lockhart also lashed out at Sandmann.

"I'm watching tonight because it's important," said Lockhart tweeted on the second night of the RNC. "But i don’t have to watch this snot nose entitled kid from Kentucky."

It appears CNN reporters have either forgotten or begrudge the multi-million dollar defamation settlement with Sandmann. So in the end, as adult professionals unleash comical jabs at a budding Trumper who's defeated their employer in the court of law and now the court of public opinion, who's really "winning?" This kid is laughing all the way to the bank.