EXCLUSIVE: A CNN segment on "NewsNight with Abby Phillip" about the Trump administration's review of the Smithsonian erupted into a heated debate over slavery when fitness trainer and media personality Jillian Michaels said President Donald Trump is not "whitewashing" history. 

Speaking exclusively to Fox News Digital about the now-viral segment, Michaels accused Phillip of lying and then verbally attacking her after she argued that White people do not bear all the blame for slavery. 

"There was no moment where I defended slavery," Michaels clarified. "I would never. I just said it's evil, but you can't lay it all at the feet of one race. There was no moment where I tried to litigate who benefited from slavery in America, and I said specifically this has been going on for thousands of years."

Michaels said Democratic strategist Julie Roginsky started the debate when she referred to Trump as "Dear Leader" – a jab evoking the authoritarian title used for North Korea’s Kim Jong Il – and said, "Slavery was a bad thing, and we should talk about it."

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"He's not whitewashing slavery," Michaels responded, triggering crosstalk on the panel and Michaels' viral moment. 

The Huffington Post published an article after the segment aired, accusing Michaels of a "stunning meltdown." In a social media video, Phillip explained the viral debate from her perspective, accusing Michaels of trying to "minimiz[e] the impact of racism and slavery on American history."

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"If I could tell you literally the lies that Abby Phillip and CNN and the Huffington Post have perpetuated after that interview, it's staggering how they've mischaracterized and manipulated and lied about everything," Michaels said. 

And the CNN host said Trump followed Michaels' lead in a Truth Social post, calling the Smithsonian "WOKE" and "OUT OF CONTROL."

Michaels maintained to Fox News Digital that she had no intention of "trying to relitigate who benefited from slavery in America," as Phillip claimed. 

"Slavery and imperialism and racism have been practiced by every single human race, and everybody of every skin color throughout history has worn both the chains and the whip, and I think if we don't start talking about this, it's going to tear apart the fabric of our society," Michaels said. 

She questioned how it's racist to "tell both sides of this story." White House officials told Fox News Digital that the new Smithsonian guidance seeks to "support a broader vision of excellence that highlights historically accurate, uplifting, and inclusive portrayals of America’s heritage."

"This ultra-woke narrative that tells only one side of history and that paints an entire, just one, race, with all the evils of slavery, imperialism, racism – this younger generation is choking on [it], and they're vomiting it back up," the former "The Biggest Loser" trainer said. 

Michaels argued that cancel culture "is a lever of power." While politicians campaign on "culture wars" with "race baiting," she said "nobody's paying attention to the greater evils."

She said someone commented, "Little Nazi," on a photo her son posted on Instagram with conservative media personality, Charlie Kirk, while others made comments about her having a Black daughter. 

"I will sign up for any difficult conversation," Michaels said. "I want to have it. I embrace it. I think it's necessary, but when you see people attack your family, your kids, your spouse, your parents, the people that you work with, and their livelihoods get threatened, you can see why people are afraid to say anything."

The "Keeping It Real" podcast host said that cancel culture is intentionally used as a means to maintain racial division and uphold the status quo. But she's no stranger to the public's ire. 

After admitting she voted for Trump in 2024 and going all in on the Make American Health Again (MAHA) movement, the public said, "She’s lost it, she’s MAGA, she’s alt-right," she said.

As Michaels faces a slew of criticism in light of a new Netflix docuseries, "Fit for TV: The Reality of The Biggest Loser," she said, "It's like ‘The Biggest Loser’ all over again because the Left is manipulating narratives and smearing [me]."

Fox News Digital reached out to CNN and the Huffington Post, but the outlets did not immediately provide comment.