The panel went quiet. Even the academic looked stunned as O’Leary continued his teardown.
He brought up recent court cases around medical malpractice and insurance fraud. “These are real-world consequences—not academic hypotheticals,” he said.
CNN tried to steer the segment toward tax policy, but the damage was done. O’Leary now had the floor, and he wasn’t letting go.
He cited declining small business confidence and rising prenatal care costs. “These are affecting families every day—not in 10-year theoretical graphs,” he said.
The academic mumbled something about “systemic forces,” but O’Leary didn’t blink. “I deal with maternity insurance providers and hospital CFOs weekly. Do you?” he asked bluntly.
At that point, viewers flooded X with hashtags like #OLearyOwnsCNN and #AcademicMeltdown. Clips racked up millions of views within hours, sparking fierce debate.
