CNN anchor confronts GOP lawmaker who claims Delta gives discounts to Planned Parenthood members

CNN host Brianna Keilar on Tuesday told Georgia state Sen. Michael Williams (R) that he needs to “have [his] facts straight” after Williams claimed the Atlanta-based Delta Airlines gives discounts to Planned Parenthood members.

Delta on Saturday announced it would end its discount program for National Rifle Association (NRA) members, joining a host of other companies distancing themselves from the gun rights group after the deadly shooting at a Florida high school earlier this month.

The NRA slammed the companies for cutting ties, calling it a “shameful display of political and civic cowardice.”

“If [Delta Airlines is] going to pull the discount for NRA members, why not pull for Planned Parenthood or some of the left organizations out there?” Williams asked.

“Where are you getting that, that Delta gives a discount to Planned Parenthood members?” Keilar asked. “I haven’t seen that anywhere. I’ve seen allegations of that on right-wing blogs, I’ve been able to find no verification of that. We have people looking at that. Where are you getting that?”

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Williams responded, saying he and other Georgia state senators “looked it up on Google,” but said he didn’t know “the exact source right now.”

“My campaign can get it to you if you need,” he told Keilar.

“Just to be clear, we have looked it up as well,” Keilar said. “And it doesn’t appear after some digging that we’ve been able to determine that is actually factual. You’re indicating something that may not be true there.”

Williams said he “believes very firmly” that Planned Parenthood members receive discounts from Delta Airlines, to which Keilar replied, “if you’re making that argument, shouldn’t you have your facts straight?”

“There’s no indication they are giving discounts to that organization is my point,” she said.

“Let’s agree to disagree,” Williams said.

There is no evidence that Delta provides discounts for Planned Parenthood members.

Conservative watchdog group 2ndvote claims that United Airlines “matches gifts” to Planned Parenthood, but the group doesn’t link Delta to Planned Parenthood on its tracking page for the company.

On Monday, Georgia’s Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle (R) threatened to block any tax legislation that would benefit Delta.

“I will kill any tax legislation that benefits @Delta unless the company changes its position and fully reinstates its relationship with @NRA. Corporations cannot attack conservatives and expect us not to fight back,” Cagle tweeted.

Cagle, who is running for governor this year, issued a statement accusing those companies distancing themselves from the NRA of “viewpoint discrimination against conservatives and law-abiding gun owners.”