A public health expert slammed claims made by a conservative podcaster on CNN that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has lost the trust of the American people.

Dr. Chris T. Pernell, director of the NAACP's Center for Health Equity, joined the panel on CNN's "NewsNight with Abby Phillip" to discuss Florida's decision to end vaccine mandates for young children. Pernell called the decision "reckless" and argued that it would cause increased exposure to illnesses among children from low-income households.

GOP podcaster Ben Ferguson pushed back on Pernell's claims, arguing that the CDC had lost the trust of Americans, and therefore, vaccine mandates should be eliminated.

"If you want to blame somebody for this, blame the CDC!" Ferguson said.

"You're loud and wrong," Pernell said. "Let's talk about political actors who started to spew misinformation and disinformation, which has led to confusion, which has led to chaos, and has led to an unnecessary loss of life."

"Do you know why we were able to save the lives that we did?" she continued. "Because public health physicians, and the CDC..."

Ferguson cut off Pernell to say that Americans should "be angry" with the science behind the COVID-19 vaccines because they were misled.

"See, that's what's wrong," Pernell continued. "Be angry with the science? Why?"

Watch the entire segment below or by clicking here.