A CNBC debate over the stock market completely exploded early Wednesday, with two Squawk Box hosts throwing down in a vicious debate which saw one accusing the other of being in the tank for President Donald Trump.
During an intense discussion punctuating the show’s opening segment, Joe Kernen and Andrew Ross Sorkin battled over the recent stock market rally. Kernen accused Sorkin of being overly pessimistic, and going out of his way to find negative market indicators. Sorkin countered by arguing that “a lot of smart people” are questioning how the market could be so high despite the devastating impact the coronavirus has had on the economy.
“Why is that the smart people?! They’ve been wrong for 35 percent!” Kernen said — referring to the gains the Dow has made since reaching its low of just above 18,000 in March. “Why are they smart?! Just because they can see what’s right in front of their nose?! That doesn’t make them smart! It makes them not savvy about the market!”
“Joe! You missed it a hundred percent on the way down too!” Sorkin shot back. “You missed it 100 percent on the way down! And you missed 100,000 deaths!”
Kernen tried to inteject, but Sorkin shut him down.
“HOLD ON! HOLD ON! HOLD ON!” Sorkin said “I’m not going to do this with you, Joe!”
Sorkin went on to finish his point, stating that he doesn’t know whether he’s right or wrong, but that the questions that he and others on The Street are posing are valid.
The debate went off the rails after that, as Kernen referenced a moment from the prior day’s broadcast in which he said Sorkin yelled, and added, “You just yelled again!”
“I’m not,” Sorkin said. “Go ahead.”
Kernen was taken aback.
“I’m sorry?!”
“No you’re not!” Sorkin said. “Go ahead with the news!”
Kernen did not go ahead with the news, and instead offered a rebuttal.
“You panicked about the market, panicked about covid, panicked about the ventilators, panicked about PPE, panicked about ever going out again,”
Sorkin broke in and erupted on Kernen — accusing him of keeping his head in the sand about the pandemic to help the president.
“JOSEPH! JOSEPH! YOU DIDN’T PANIC ABOUT ANYTHING!” Sorkin said, exploding. “JOSEPH, 100,000 PEOPLE DIED! 100,000 PEOPLE DIED, JOE! AND ALL YOU DID WAS TRY TO DO WAS HELP YOUR FRIEND THE PRESIDENT!
“That’s what you did! Every single morning on this show! Every single morning on this show! You used and abused your position, Joe!”
“That’s totally unfair!” Kernen said, firing back. “I’m trying to help investors keep their cool! Keep their heads! And as it turned out, that’s what they should’ve done!”
“Do the news,” Sorkin said — all but pleading with Kernen at that point to move on. “Do the news.”
Kernen, though, kept it going.
“If they had listened to you, Andrew, we’re supposed to be at about 8,000,” Kernen said.
“I wasn’t arguing to go sell your stocks, Joseph!” Sorkin said. “I was arguing about people’s lives! … Do the news, Joseph! I’m begging you! Do the news!”
Watch the explosive battle above, via CNBC.
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