On Sunday’s episode of ABC News’ “This Week,” former Trump White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus made mincemeat out of DNC Vice Chair David Hogg during a heated exchange as Priebus successfully cornered Hogg into defending one the Democratic Party’s recent messaging debacles — advocating for a suspected MS-13 gang member, wife beater, and human trafficker who was deported.
Priebus didn’t hold back, ripping into the current state of the Democratic Party: “They’ve got no message, they’ve got no movement, they’ve got no leader. I mean, it doesn’t get any worse than that.” He blasted Hogg for “defending Harvard” and the DNC for “traveling to El Salvador for MS-13 gang members,” mocking the party’s apparent priorities.
When the host interrupted to note that the deportee in question was only an “alleged” gang member, Priebus criticized Hogg’s pledge to spend $20 million to primary incumbent Democrats.
“You’re taking $20 million… it’s $20 million out of the DNC’s pocket,” he argued. “You can’t be on the board of the fishing and forest company and on Greenpeace at the same time,” he added, calling into question the DNC’s blurred lines between activism and governance.
Hogg jumped in, visibly agitated.
“Let me push back against that,” he began. “This was not an MS-13 gang member, and you damn well know that.”
But Priebus didn’t flinch.
“Oh, come on,” he fired back. “So keep defending this guy, you’re just digging your own hole.”
Priebus is right. Evidence of Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s connections to MS-13 came out last week, as did court documents showing that his wife accused him of domestic abuse and that he’s suspected of human trafficking.
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Nevertheless, Hogg dug himself in deeper with the same old talking points we’ve heard before.
“In America, we have due process and we are a land of law and order,” he said. “This administration is repeatedly showing time and time again, they do not care about what the Supreme Court says, they do not care about the rule of law.”
Priebus responded with a reality check. “CNN just did a poll… most Americans think that all illegal immigrants should be deported, by the way.”
Hogg claimed that Abrego Garcia was denied counsel and due process and that “you cannot defend sending people… to another country where they don’t have rights.” Actually, you can defend sending an illegal immigrant back to his home country.
Naturally, Priebus didn’t let the moment slip. “If you want to try to defend the constitutionality of deporting an illegal immigrant that’s here — he’s here illegally,” Priebus insisted before pointing out that “every intel community agency and the White House say he is a member of MS-13.”
David Hogg is out of his league leading DNC. Reince Priebus baits him into defending their mess. pic.twitter.com/617OhAnnSE
— Big Fish (@BigFish3000) April 22, 2025
The key takeaway from this exchange is that Priebus baited Hogg into defending a deeply unpopular position and forced him to prop up a deportation case that most Americans reject. In doing so, Priebus made a compelling case that Hogg, who is more activist than strategist, is far out of his league as a vice chair of a party already struggling for credibility.
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