Chris Cuomo and Dan Abrams get into heated debate about JD Vance

Chris Cuomo insisted in a brief exchange with another NewsNation moderator Daniel Abrams this Sen. JD Vance (R-PA) was in every respect the wrong choice as vice presidential candidate for Donald Trump.

Abrams, founder of Mediaite, offered a counterpoint to Cuomo’s criticism of Vance as Trump’s pick as Cuomo passed the hour. Abrams argued that Vance was a “pick” that “makes a lot of sense” for Trump.

“Not for me,” Cuomo replied.

Abrams argued that Trump chose Vance because the senator is a “MAGA fan,” but also someone who has broad appeal beyond Trump’s base. Vance, a Marine veteran, is a venture capitalist best known for the bestselling memoir. Hillbilly Elegywhich was turned into a Netflix film by the director Ron Howard.

Abrams told Cuomo:

That’s why I’m asking you, because it seems to me that he needed someone who was a diehard MAGA supporter. Having someone who is simply a politically astute, more moderate choice is just not an option, because Donald Trump would not be able to handle that. It’s clear that that’s not what he wants. He wants someone who is loyal, and that means you need someone with the MAGA credentials. You have Vance, but Vance also has

has something different. He can talk to the non-MAGA people. This is a guy from Yale Law School, this is a guy who has lived in liberal worlds, this is a guy who has written a best-selling book, so Vance seems to make a lot of sense to me among the choices.

“That’s why you’re not in politics,” Cuomo replied.

The former CNN anchor accused Vance of being motivated purely by “opportunism” and claimed that the former Trump critic could no longer appeal to anyone outside the MAGA base.

“This guy has always been harsh on Trump. The only thing that has changed is his opportunism. He can’t talk to people like me or people like you because he’s a traitor. He hasn’t changed his beliefs. He has changed his beliefs about what’s best for him, Dan. It doesn’t matter where he went to law school,” Cuomo said.

Abrams described someone who is more moderate as “Mitt RomneyChoosing a “male type” as a partner for Trump is only possible in a “fantasy world”.

“That’s a different question than whether you think he’s insincere, right? The question is who Trump could live with as vice president, and I think you live in a fantasy world where Trump picks someone who is politically moderate, a

A guy like Mitt Romney who could say, “Oh my God, look at all the new people we can bring under our umbrella. This is a fantasy world,” he argued.

After a brief pause between the two, Abrams added, “And by the way, you’re not in politics either.”

While Abrams laughed, Cuomo stuck to his point, pointing to his work in several previous campaigns to support his belief that Trump made a mistake with Vance.

“I’m not in politics, but I’ve been involved in a dozen campaigns. You haven’t been involved in any. I’m telling you, I understand what these people do when people like you aren’t present at a cocktail party,” Cuomo said, adding that Vance was a “supplicant” and was making a smoochy face to mimic the senator’s loyalty to Trump.

“They look at it purely through a smart, political prism and I look at it through a practical prism, and I think that’s the difference,” Abrams explained.

“Tell yourself what you want,” Cuomo said.

“Of course. I’m sorry. You’re right! It was a terrible decision and no reasonable person in the political world would ever think it was a wise decision!” Abrams said sarcastically, breaking the tension and earning derisive applause from his co-moderator.

Watch the video above via NewsNation.