A heated exchange erupted on CNN’s NewsNight when former South Carolina Democrat lawmaker Bakari Sellers clashed with Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary over federal spending cuts and education policy.

The debate, which took place during Abby Phillip’s late-night panel, quickly escalated into a full-blown argument, with Sellers attempting to lecture O’Leary on economic policy—only to be met with immediate pushback.

Sellers, now a political commentator, criticized recent budget cuts, particularly targeting reductions in the Departments of Education and Agriculture under President Donald Trump.

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O’Leary, a longtime advocate for shrinking the federal government, argued that the cuts should go even further.

As Sellers attempted to explain his perspective, he addressed O’Leary directly: “Let me just say, can I explain to you—”

O’Leary, worth an estimated $400 million, immediately interrupted. “You need to explain it to me? I know how it works,” he shot back.

Sellers doubled down. “But no, you don’t.”

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As Sellers seemed prepared to launch into a lengthy explanation, O’Leary cut him off again. “I do, I’ve done it multiple times,” he countered, referencing his extensive business experience.

The argument intensified, with Sellers and other panelists expressing outrage at O’Leary’s stance on government spending.

“You cannot run everyday government the same way you run [the private sector]!” Sellers exclaimed.

O’Leary responded without hesitation. “This is worse than the private sector. [This is] fat dripping-with-waste government.”

The cuts discussed align with President Trump’s ongoing effort to reduce federal spending, including a planned executive order to dismantle the Department of Education.

The USDA cuts announced earlier in the week also fit within the administration’s broader strategy of reducing bureaucratic waste.

During the segment, O’Leary pointed to Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s aggressive approach to cost-cutting, including his handling of layoffs at his companies.

He argued that deeper cuts were necessary across government agencies.

“This issue is not going to go away because it’s very contentious, but when you cut in any organization, government or private, it’s very demoralizing,” O’Leary said.

“It’s traumatic, and it gets lots of bad press as we’re doing right now.”

The businessman then outlined his philosophy on budget reductions.

“But that’s why you cut 20 percent more. I think Elon is not cutting enough. Cut 20 percent more. Now get your spreadsheet out. These are the names. Whack everybody and then 20 percent more—as we do in the private sector every day and have done for 100 years. Demoralization only happens once.”

O’Leary’s comments drew backlash from the liberal panelists, particularly over his stance on education reform.

When he suggested that ineffective educators are contributing to failing schools, Sellers and others pushed back, arguing that poverty and hunger were larger issues.

“My whole career was in education,” O’Leary said, attempting to clarify his point while being interrupted by other panelists.

Sellers, speaking over O’Leary, insisted on making his case but struggled to maintain control of the conversation.

“So, like… no, no, no… let me finish,” he stammered.

O’Leary, often compared to President Trump for his blunt business-minded approach, has built a career in finance and entrepreneurship.

He co-founded O’Leary Funds and Softkey, the latter of which was sold to Mattel in 1999 for $3.5 billion, securing his status as a multimillionaire.

In 2017, he briefly entered politics, running for leadership of Canada’s Conservative Party before dropping out due to lack of support.

He has been an outspoken critic of liberal economic policies, particularly those proposed by Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 election cycle.

Following Trump’s victory, O’Leary expressed satisfaction with the outcome, stating that he was “very proud of the work I did” throughout the campaign.