On Tuesday’s episode of NewsNight, CNN host Abby Phillip admonished former MSNBC personality Tiffany Cross for what she described as a “personal attack” against panelist Kevin O’Leary.

The exchange unfolded during a heated debate between Cross and O’Leary regarding the recruitment practices of new Department of Homeland Security agents and their potential ideologies.

Earlier, a CNN report released on January 15 alleged that the agency might be employing ‘coded’ terminology to covertly recruit individuals with white nationalist views.

“I’m relying on observation and logic,” Cross asserted after a lengthy discussion. “There have been several ICE agents spotted with white supremacist tattoos.”

O’Leary, visibly skeptical, countered, “These are federal employees, risking their lives on the job. And you claim they are white supremacists?”

Cross tersely responded with a simple, “Yes,” directed at the Shark Tank investor.

All the while, Phillip repeatedly attempted to reel the two in – to little avail.

Over the crosstalk, Cross, 46, offered O’Leary a parting shot over his support for Donald Trump.

Ex-MSNBC host Tiffany Cross and Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary (seen in the foreground) got into it during a discussion about the personal beliefs of newly minted DHS agents

The conversation became so heated, that host Abby Phillip was forced to step in after minutes of trying to keep a handle on the brewing dispute

‘And you’re a member of a cult. So I won’t expect you to analyze that,’ the former Cross Connection host fumed.

O’Leary, a supporter of Trump’s economic policies, appeared taken aback by the jab.

‘Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!’ O’Leary, 71, exclaimed.

Phillip, 37, appeared similarly surprised before regaining control of the broadcast.

‘I’m going to let Jim have a word. Go ahead, Jim,’ she said over O’Leary’s reacting, turning to CNN contributor Jim Schulz. 

Schulz, a Philadelphia-based lawyer, remarked, ‘I think the generalizations are a bit of an overuse.

Phillip, the show’s moderator, added: ‘Yes. And let’s not make personal attacks.’

The altercation ended there, though Cross later earned a reaction from CNN legal analyst Elie Honig after she insisted the suspected assassin of Charlie Kirk ‘espoused very right-wing [views].’

Cross ended the exchange by dismissing O’Leary of being a ‘member of a cult’ – a reference to his support for Donald Trump

The two had been sparring about whether agents enlisted in the agency are actually white nationalists. A CNN report published earlier in the month suggested the agency was attempting to recruit a certain type of person via the use of ‘coded’ language

‘That’s just not true! Charlie Kirk? That’s not a right-wing person!’ Honig reacted.

The political beliefs of the suspect, 22-year-old Utah native Tyler Robinson, became a flashpoint following the September assassination because of Kirk’s conservative beliefs.

In a text message to his transgender partner shortly after the murder, Robinson allegedly said of Kirk: ‘I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.’ 

In another, he discussed how his father ‘has been pretty die-hard MAGA’ since Trump had been re-elected, according to evidence released by prosecutors shortly after Robinson was arrested after being turned in by his conservative father.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox has claimed the suspect’s ideology, ‘was very different than his family’ and that his motivation was rooted in radicalization.

MSNBC cut ties with Cross in November 2022, after less than two years.

During the stint, Cross regularly criticized conservatives. Prior to joining MSNBC, Cross was the Washington, D.C., bureau chief for BET and worked as an associate producer for CNN.