CNN host Abby Phillip shared a post highlighting the recent ratings logged by her show, &#8220;CNN NewsNight&#8221; — and her critics quickly pointed out that what truly made her show a standout on the cable news network was her regular inclusion of popular Republican commentator Scott Jennings.
Phillip posted an excerpt from a CNN public relations release showing that her broadcast was the network&#8217;s top performer in the coveted 25-54 age demographic for three months running — and that her audience was growing. She said (emphasis hers), &#8220;NewsNight with Abby Phillip continues to be a standout performer for CNN, ranking as the network’s most watched program among P25-54 for the third consecutive month. Further, NewsNight grew by impressive, double-digit margins year-over-year among both demos.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;NewsNight with Abby Phillip continues to be a standout performer for CNN, ranking as the network’s most watched program among P25-54 for the third consecutive month. Further, NewsNight grew by impressive, double-digit margins year-over-year among both demos.&#8221;…
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) <a href="https://twitter.com/abbydphillip/status/1917377118951952871?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
But critics responded to her post, arguing that it was Jennings — who often employs a Jim Halpern (&#8220;The Office&#8221;) style camera stare to great effect — and his sharp but civil commentary that was really bringing in the viewers for whom she was taking credit.
&#8220;Thanks solely to @ScottJenningsKY,&#8221; Tomi Lahren posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Thanks solely to <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottJenningsKY?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ScottJenningsKY</a>
— Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomiLahren/status/1917410286644125816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Two words: Scott and Jennings,&#8221; another said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Two words: Scott and Jennings
— Chris Stigall (@ChrisStigall) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisStigall/status/1917620491650507108?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Great job, @ScottJenningsKY! You’ve driven the ratings up on this show significantly!&#8221; Matt Boyle added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Great job <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottJenningsKY?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ScottJenningsKY</a> ! You’ve driven the ratings up on this show significantly! <a href="https://t.co/Iyf66mAE9h">https://t.co/Iyf66mAE9h</a>
— Matthew Boyle (@mboyle1) <a href="https://twitter.com/mboyle1/status/1917569344059630039?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Our audience knows exactly why and his name is Scaaaaahhht Jennings,&#8221; Chicks on the Right posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Our audience knows exactly why and his name is Scaaaaahhht Jennings. <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottJenningsKY?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ScottJenningsKY</a> <a href="https://t.co/SoRb4mbNAz">https://t.co/SoRb4mbNAz</a>
— Chicks On The Right (@chicksonright) <a href="https://twitter.com/chicksonright/status/1917583657901998272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I wonder why, um&#8230; what&#8217;s your name again? <a href="https://t.co/0BmfHmIglO">https://t.co/0BmfHmIglO</a> <a href="https://t.co/7RIPWjXseu">pic.twitter.com/7RIPWjXseu</a>
— 𝕯ug (@DugShrugged) <a href="https://twitter.com/DugShrugged/status/1917569914707058709?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Even popular liberal radio host Charlamagne tha God admitted that he was a fan of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/charlamagne-tha-god-admits-hes-a-fan-of-one-cnn-republican" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GOP commentator</a>, saying, &#8220;I wish they had more people like Scott Jennings though. Because I feel like Scott Jennings really, really does take it serious, even though he holds his side down. I think a lot of times, they have Republicans on here who are just there just to throw grenades, just to cause the conflict. But Scott actually — I think Scott actually gives a f*** a little bit, you know what I mean? A lot of bit actually.&#8221;

Scott Jennings

CNN Host Touts Network’s Best Show — Gets Reminded Viewers Aren’t Watching For Her

CNN Host Touts Network’s Best Show — Gets Reminded Viewers Aren't Watching For Her

Media

Media Bias

Politics

Ratings

CNN Republican commentator Scott Jennings laid into comedian Larry David (&#8220;Curb Your Enthusiasm&#8221;) during a recent panel discussion, arguing that he was using his platform to shut down political discourse and bully other Democrats into silence.
Jennings referenced a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/larry-david-whines-about-bill-maher-giving-donald-trump-a-chance-with-trite-hitler-comparison" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent op-ed</a> David wrote — in which he suggested that comedian Bill Maher having dinner with President Donald Trump was no different than having dinner with Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler — and argued that David&#8217;s goal was not so much to shame Maher as it was to issue a warning to anyone who might have considered meeting with Trump in the future.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Scott Jennings STUNS CNN panel with the obviously correct analysis on Larry David&#39;s GHOULISH column🔥<a href="https://t.co/m6wxseFNgl">pic.twitter.com/m6wxseFNgl</a>
&mdash; Townhall.com (@townhallcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1914677191557738756?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;The message of this is not to — because Bill Maher, first of all, I totally agree, he&#8217;s totally in the right to do it,&#8221; Jennings began, saying that while he certainly disagreed with Maher on a wide range of political issues, he felt the HBO host was right to encourage dialogue with people who have different political views. &#8220;I loved his monologue, even thought I disagree with almost everything he believes politically, he ws right to do this and he was right to speak out about it.&#8221;
&#8220;But this isn&#8217;t about that dinner. It&#8217;s about the next one,&#8221; Jennings continued. &#8220;Because this is the modern Left. It&#8217;s an attempt always to intimidate people into not ever doing it again. It&#8217;s to silence yourselves, or we&#8217;ll do it for you. That&#8217;s the purpose of this op-ed, so that the next comedian, or the next person on the American left chooses not to speak to Donald Trump.&#8221;
&#8220;This isn&#8217;t — this is all an effort to get people not to do what you just said, which is to talk to each other and our political leaders,&#8221; he concluded.
Maher <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-telling-you-it-happened-bill-maher-reveals-what-was-said-during-private-dinner-with-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">met with Trump</a> at the behest of mutual friend Kid Rock, and later delivered a monologue describing just how different the president had been in person than he was on the public stage. The comedian did not hold back the criticism, however, and argued that he&#8217;d prefer to see the private version of Trump take on the public-facing role.

Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 12 Premiere

CNN Republican Torches Larry David’s ‘Dinner With Hitler’ Column Attacking Bill Maher

CNN Republican Torches Larry David's 'Dinner With Hitler' Column Attacking Bill Maher

Bill Maher

Donald Trump

Larry David

Former MSNBC host Tiffany Cross aimed a barb at Republican commentator Scott Jennings during a panel discussion on Wednesday — and then complained about people resorting to &#8220;personal insults&#8221; when Jennings fired back.
The conversation centered on Greenland, and blew up when Cross insisted that Trump&#8217;s goals — with regard to claims he&#8217;d like to take control of the island nation currently controlled by Denmark — were obviously colonial rather than, as the administration has repeatedly stated, strategic.
WATCH:
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CROSS: &quot;You&#39;re not a member of government, so you&#39;re irrelevant.&quot;
JENNINGS: &quot;You got fired from your job, how relevant are you?&quot; <a href="https://t.co/GIxvKJ44HF">pic.twitter.com/GIxvKJ44HF</a>
&mdash; Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyCaller/status/1910332062067728483?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;You cannot just go and say, &#8216;I like it, it&#8217;s mine now,&#8217; it doesn&#8217;t work that way,&#8221; Cross said, as Jennings visibly reacted to her claims. &#8220;That is what they&#8217;re trying to do, and in this new world order —&#8221;
Jennings laughed aloud then, but Cross kept going.
&#8220;Yeah, absolutely, when they&#8217;re looking at Greenland, they say, &#8216;I like it, I want to take it for mine,&#8217; is a very colonizing attitude,&#8221; she said.
Host Abby Phillip stepped in, assisting Cross in pushing back on Jennings: &#8220;Scott, you have said you are pro taking Greenland.&#8221;
&#8220;I have never, ever said we&#8217;re going to go to Greenland and quote &#8216;colonize it&#8217; or &#8216;steal it,&#8217; that&#8217;s crazy!&#8221; Jennings shot back.
Cross held up a hand, waving Scott off and adding, &#8220;I&#8217;m not even talking about you, you&#8217;re not a member of government, so you&#8217;re irrelevant in that point, I&#8217;m talking about the President of the United States doing that.&#8221;
&#8220;Well, you were fired from your job, how relevant are you?&#8221; Jennings jabbed back, referencing Cross&#8217; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-one-will-miss-her-megyn-kelly-political-commentators-react-to-msnbc-host-being-dropped" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ouster from MSNBC</a> after two years — during which she earned a reputation for racially charged commentary.
Cross immediately pointed a finger at Jennings. &#8220;If you wanna — Scott, if you wanna engage in personal insults —&#8221;
&#8220;I don&#8217;t, but you do —&#8221; Jennings pushed back.
&#8220;What you lack in a legitimate point you make up for in personal — in personal insults,&#8221; Cross said, bulldozing over Jennings – who smiled and raised his gaze to the ceiling — and adding, &#8220;The point I was making is in this new world order, we are looking at countries, whether or not they are an adversary or an ally, it is being determined on what kind of deal we can get, and we cannot govern, we cannot legislate that way.&#8221;
&#8220;Why?&#8221; Jennings asked.
&#8220;We are increasingly isolated on the world stage,&#8221; Cross insisted, despite reports of dozens of countries already planning to negotiate better trade deals with the Trump administration.
&#8220;No, we&#8217;re not,&#8221; Jennings rebutted.
&#8220;So if you want to engage in personal insults —&#8221; Cross just kept going. &#8220;If I were you. I would reserve that for your party —&#8221;
&#8220;We are not. We&#8217;re not isolated,&#8221; Jennings repeated, and others around the table all began talking at once.

The 2022 Concordia Annual Summit – Day 1

Ex-MSNBC Host Takes Cheap Shot, Then Whines When Someone Hits Back

MSNBC

Tiffany Cross

CNN anchor Abby Phillip appeared frustrated with Republican commentator Scott Jennings when he argued that illegal alien gang members should not be afforded the same rights that American citizens enjoy.
Jennings made the point during a Monday evening appearance on Phillips&#8217; show, &#8220;CNN NewsNight,&#8221; explaining that he put U.S. citizens and illegal aliens &#8220;in a different category&#8221; — and argued that simply walking across the southern border illegally should not automatically confer the rights of citizens on everyone who does so.
WATCH;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨CNN&#39;s Abby Phillip treats Scott Jennings like a TODDLER while he calmly explains his common-sense position:
JENNINGS: &quot;If you&#39;re a U.S. citizen, I put you in a different category.&quot;
PHILLIP: &quot;On due process, that&#39;s not a distinction that the law makes, Scott!&quot;
JENNINGS: &quot;If… <a href="https://t.co/J4bfTvc8MK">pic.twitter.com/J4bfTvc8MK</a>
&mdash; Townhall.com (@townhallcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1907068081429463149?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Phillip suggested that the United States deporting criminal gang members — many of whom had committed violent crimes in addition to crossing the border illegally — was no different than countries like Russia detaining American citizens without trial.
&#8220;Isn&#8217;t this exactly what we denounce other countries for doing? Not giving our own citizens, when they get wrongfully detained around the world, our own citizens, the due process that they deserve?&#8221; Phillip asked.
&#8220;Well, I think that multiple things could be true,&#8221; Jennings replied. &#8220;Number one, I delineate between American citizens and everyone else. If you&#8217;re a U.S. citizen, I put you in a different category.&#8221;
&#8220;On due process, that&#8217;s not a distinction that the law makes,&#8221; Phillip objected.
&#8220;If you come here — if you&#8217;ve come here and broken our laws,&#8221; Jennings continued as Phillip repeatedly attempted to interrupt, &#8220;And committed violent acts or murdered and raped, whatever, I put you in a different category.&#8221;
&#8220;On due process, that is not a distinction,&#8221; Phillip insisted again.
&#8220;If you&#8217;d like to argue that Tren de Aragua should have the same rights that you get as an American citizen, go ahead! You&#8217;re saying that a terrorist can walk across the border and become effectively a U.S. citizen?&#8221; Jennings said.
&#8220;Scott?! Hello?! Hold on! Scott. Look at me,&#8221; Phillip tried again. &#8220;Okay? You and I are talking. I&#8217;m talking to you. What I&#8217;m saying is that the law does not make a distinction between U.S. citizens and everybody else when it comes to being accused of crimes. Are you saying that should not be in place?&#8221;
&#8220;These people are effectively terrorists. They walked across our borders illegally. They are violent, and I don&#8217;t really want them here,&#8221; Jennings said, agreeing that the government would have to account for who they had detained and deported at some point. &#8220;There is no doubt that the Trump administration is rounding up, effectively, terrorists who came across here illegally, committed horrific acts and do not need to be in this country.&#8221;
&#8220;They are doing that, perhaps, but they&#8217;re also doing a lot of other things, too,&#8221; Phillip responded.

US deports 17 gang-linked criminals in joint operation with El Salvador

‘Hello? Hold On!’: CNN Anchor Balks When Republican Says Gang Members Don’t Get Citizens’ Rights

‘Hello? Hold On!’: CNN Anchor Balks When Republican Says Gang Members Don't Get Citizen's Rights

Illegal Immigration

Tren De Aragua

CNN Republican commentator Scott Jennings laid into the Democrats who are calling for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth&#8217;s ouster over the Signal-chat SNAFU that resulted in The Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg being added to a chat group discussing military strikes on Houthi terrorists.
In the wake of President Donald Trump&#8217;s assurance that he does not plan to fire anyone over the Signal incident, Jennings joined Sunday&#8217;s broadcast of &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; and pointed out the hypocrisy of Democrats who were calling for Hegseth&#8217;s head despite remaining silent when military leadership under President Joe Biden made decisions that resulted in the deaths of 13 American service-members. He also pointed out the fact that many had remained silent when then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin effectively went AWOL — leaving a subordinate in charge while he was hospitalized, but failing to apprise even the White House of the situation.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨Scott Jennings lays out the plain facts to Dems calling for firings over Signalgate —
JENNINGS: “The bar for firing people like this is really high from the last administration when after the Afghanistan withdrawal, which was a disaster, people died.&quot;
&quot;No accountability was… <a href="https://t.co/eE5n3liLIk">pic.twitter.com/eE5n3liLIk</a>
&mdash; Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WesternLensman/status/1906350055574966505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;If you&#8217;re trying to assess &#8216;what should we do about it,&#8217; I hear Democrats arguing, &#8216;Well, we should fire Pete Hegseth,&#8217; or, &#8216;We should fire the National Security Adviser,'&#8221; Jennings began. &#8220;The bar for firing people like this is really high from the last administration when after the Afghanistan withdrawal, which was a disaster, people died, no accountability was meted out. After the drone strike that vaporized those poor kids and that family, no accountability. After the secretary of defense went AWOL, no accountability.&#8221;
&#8220;So if you&#8217;re arguing today that we should get rid of Pete Hegseth over a small mistake regarding communications — even while he was expertly executing this military operation against the Houthi rebels, which also the Biden administration didn&#8217;t take up, I just ‚ I don&#8217;t have a lot of time for that argument,&#8221; Jennings continued.
Another panelist pushed back, arguing that by taking questions and calling for a review, Austin had provided &#8220;accountability.&#8221;
Jennings was not convinced: &#8220;Did a single Democrat ask for his resignation?&#8221;

25th Ukraine Defense Contact Group Meeting

‘No  Accountability’: Dems Calling For Hegseth’s Ouster Trip Over AWOL Lloyd Austin

Afghanistan

Lloyd Austin

Pete Hegseth

Signal

Popular radio host Charlamagne Tha God admitted that he&#8217;s a fan of at least one Republican commentator who regularly appears on CNN — Scott Jennings — primarily because he believes that Jennings is not using his appearances on the network to exacerbate political divisions.
Charlamagne explained that while he and Jennings were often on opposite sides of the issues, he believed that Jennings was there to drive thoughtful conversations — and he wished that CNN would bring in more commentators who felt similarly about the job.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨NEW: Charlamagne Tha God PRAISES <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottJenningsKY?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ScottJenningsKY</a> for his work on Abby Phillip&#39;s CNN show🚨
&quot;I wish they had more people like Scott Jennings though. Because I feel like Scott Jennings really, really, does take it serious, even though he holds his side down. I think a lot of… <a href="https://t.co/NF3xGf6yNW">pic.twitter.com/NF3xGf6yNW</a>
&mdash; Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonJournoDC/status/1905998388136440103?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;By the way, my favorite show to watch on CNN by far, just for the chaos, the chaos that ensues on Abby Phillip&#8217;s show is very entertaining,&#8221; he began. &#8220;And it&#8217;s actually one of the few shows I can think of — Fox does it when they have Jessica Tarlov on the panel — but they on CNN actually pair up two or three conservatives with two or three liberals and they throw topics out there. And it always does make for interesting conversation, I can&#8217;t sit here and act like it doesn&#8217;t.&#8221;
&#8220;I wish they had more people like Scott Jennings though,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Because I feel like Scott Jennings really, really does take it serious, even though he holds his side down. I think a lot of times, they have Republicans on here who are just there just to throw grenades, just to cause the conflict. But Scott actually — I think Scott actually gives a f*** a little bit, you know what I mean? A lot of bit actually.&#8221;
Jennings responded to the radio host&#8217;s praise, reciprocating in a post of his own and saying, &#8220;True story. I take this job seriously. Ty @cthagod — respect your work too.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
True story. I take this job seriously. Ty <a href="https://twitter.com/cthagod?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@cthagod</a> &#8211; respect your work, too. <a href="https://t.co/bnFRqLDOEE">https://t.co/bnFRqLDOEE</a>
&mdash; Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottJenningsKY/status/1906012703543439744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Beautycon Festival Los Angeles 2019 – Day 1

Charlamagne Tha God Admits He’s A Fan Of One CNN Republican

Charlamagne Tha God Admits He's A Fan Of One CNN Republican

Charlamagne Tha God

A CNN discussion got heated when panelists squared off over President Donald Trump&#8217;s White House Tesla test drive alongside billionaire entrepreneur — and Tesla CEO — Elon Musk.
Democratic communications strategist Xochitl Hinojosa kicked off the conversation by suggesting that any Republican strategist worth his salt would not have advised Trump to support a billionaire&#8217;s business in full view of the public, especially while said billionaire was working with the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/ScottJenningsKY?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ScottJenningsKY</a> wins another 4-on-1 exchange on CNN 🔥
CNN Commentator: &quot;As a Republican strategist, you wouldn&#39;t have advised him to go in front of the White House and drive a Tesla?!&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/ScottJenningsKY?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ScottJenningsKY</a>: &quot;Wait, why?! Of course I would have&#8230;! Yeah, I think it would be a good… <a href="https://t.co/5jHBJsKdgL">pic.twitter.com/5jHBJsKdgL</a>
&mdash; Townhall.com (@townhallcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/townhallcom/status/1899917940696179169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I&#8217;m assuming you agree, because as a Republican strategist, you wouldn&#8217;t have advised him to go in front of the White House and drive a Tesla when people —&#8221; Hinojosa began.
&#8220;Wait, why?&#8221; Republican commentator Scott Jennings appeared genuinely baffled by the suggestion. &#8220;Of course I would have! You know why? Because if I were advising a Republican president, I would say, &#8216;Let&#8217;s support American companies that have thousands of American workers and thousands more workers who make indirect products for it! Yeah, I think it would be a good idea if American companies did well!&#8221;
&#8220;Okay, so you&#8217;re going to go ahead and support a billionaire, but not support the American worker?&#8221; Hinojosa asked, glossing over the fact that Jennings had just pointed out how many Americans Tesla employs.
&#8220;Who do you think makes Teslas, Xochitl?! American workers! You think Elon Musk builds them all in his basement?&#8221; Jennings shot back. &#8220;They&#8217;ve got factories all over the place —&#8221;
Another panelist interjected then to say that some of the factories were in China, but when Jennings pointed out that Musk still employed thousands of Americans in addition to that, he ultimately conceded the point.
Hinojosa then claimed that it was the optics that concerned her, arguing that Trump driving a vehicle that had a six-figure price tag was out of touch.
&#8220;Did Joe Biden drive a Jeep Rubicon around the South Lawn? Where do they make those?&#8221; Jennings asked, noting that members of the UAW had supported former President Joe Biden.
&#8220;We&#8217;re talking about a billionaire,&#8221; Hinojosa insisted. &#8220;A billionaire who is in the federal government making cuts and making business deals that end up benefitting himself. It&#8217;s a terrible look for Donald Trump.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ve NEVER seen Democrats so excited to tear down an American company or companies the way they are right now. It&#8217;s crazy!&#8221; Jennings concluded.

Trump White House

‘Who Do You Think Makes Teslas?’: CNN Panel Blows Up Over Trump Driving Tesla At White House

'Who Do You Think Makes Teslas?': CNN Panel Blows Up Over Trump Driving Tesla At White House

Dana Bash

Elon Musk

Tesla

CNN anchor Abby Phillip on Monday joined those who were defending pro-Hamas agitator Mahmoud Khalil, asking repeatedly whether he had really done anything that warranted deportation.
Khalil, who was connected to the protests at Columbia University, was detained by President Donald Trump&#8217;s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over the weekend — and the administration has since declared that his legal immigration status will be revoked so that he can be deported.
Democrats have rallied to support Khalil, claiming that he is guilty of nothing more than exercising free speech that President Trump did not like — and Phillip joined them.
Republican commentator Scott Jennings made the case for President Trump&#8217;s plan, saying, &#8220;He&#8217;s a resident alien and he can be deported under U.S. law for — if the Secretary of State has &#8216;a reasonable ground to believe that he would have a potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequence.'&#8221;
He attempted to lay out how Khalil fit that description, but Phillip interrupted him.
&#8220;Before you move on, because I think that&#8217;s a really important point, right? That&#8217;s the statute that they&#8217;re using,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Have you seen any evidence to suggest that there is actually a serious reason to believe that this student is gonna be threat to national security?&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ve certainly watched the abomination that&#8217;s gone on at Columbia,&#8221; Jennings replied. &#8220;And Barnard and other places —&#8221;
&#8220;So, a threat to national security?&#8221; Phillip interrupted again.
Jennings tried to bring up the organization with which Khalil is affiliated, but Phillip interrupted him a third time, saying, &#8220;I&#8217;m not going to let you move on —&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ll tell you why he&#8217;s a threat to national security if you&#8217;ll let me answer you,&#8221; Jennings said. &#8220;Do you want me to answer you or not? His organization says, &#8216;We are dedicated to fighting for the total eradication of western civilization.'&#8221;
&#8220;Okay,&#8221; Phillip replied.
&#8220;He&#8217;s not a citizen, he doesn&#8217;t need to be here,&#8221; Jennings added.
&#8220;You just described him having viewpoints that you disagree with,&#8221; Phillip continued. &#8220;Again, is that enough to have someone lose their rights in this country?&#8221;
&#8220;He has viewpoints that in my opinion jeopardize the security of the United States —&#8221; Jennings said.
&#8220;How?&#8221; Phillip asked. &#8220;But how?&#8221;
&#8220;He is obviously a radical who is here to foment violence against the United States government!&#8221; Jennings shot back while Phillip and several other panelists all began talking at once.

Hudson River Park Friends Host 9th Annual Playground Committee Luncheon

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Columbia University

Pro-Hamas

Democratic political strategist David Axelrod admitted that his party reacted poorly to President Donald Trump’s speech on Tuesday.
Axelrod appeared on a CNN panel alongside other commentators on Tuesday night after Trump’s address. In a back-and-forth with CNN commentator Scott Jennings, Axelrod <a href="https://newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/nicholas-fondacaro/2025/03/05/jennings-gets-axelrod-admit-dems-looked-bad-during-trumps" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Democratic lawmakers in the joint session should have been more respectful to the president and more positive toward the speech.
“I will say, I thought Democrats, I thought that was – I think there were times when they should have risen. I think what Al Green did was despicable. I liked Elissa Slotkin’s speech. I think that&#8217;s where Democrats should go,” Axelrod said.
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David Axelrod: &quot;I think there were times when [Democrats] should&#39;ve risen. I think what Al Green did was despicable.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/TFKj81Kjfx">pic.twitter.com/TFKj81Kjfx</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1897146003675078915?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) delivered the Democrats&#8217; response to Trump’s address. Jennings said that Slotkin’s speech, no matter how well-received it may be, will not matter because of the Democrats&#8217; antics.
“I’m sure she is a very nice person. None of this will be remembered because this was a horrific night for the opposition party regardless of how well she just spoke,” Jennings said.
“It started out with Al Green getting thrown off the House floor because he couldn&#8217;t keep his emotions under control. Then they had the ridiculous paddles, which now social media is roasting,” he continued.
“And maybe most terribly, the Democrats who couldn&#8217;t find it in their heart to stand for objectively good things – including the 95-year-old mother of Marc Fogel and Marc, who got rescued from a Russian prison – and they couldn&#8217;t even stand up for that,” he said.
Rep. Al Green (D-TX) was removed from the chamber for refusing to stop shouting at the dias and the president after House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) tried to restore decorum. After an outcry from Democrats minutes into Trump’s speech, Green refused to return to his seat.
Johnson eventually <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/deported-dem-rep-al-green-booted-from-trump-address-to-congress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ordered</a> the sergeant-at-arms to escort Green from the chamber.
“Finding that members continue to engage in willful and concerted disruption of proper decorum, the chair now directs the sergeant-at-arms to restore order. Remove this gentleman from the chamber,” Johnson said.

David Axelrod

Dem Strategist Axelrod Floored By Party’s Reaction To Trump’s Speech

A CNN panel discussion went sideways on Monday when Republican commentator Scott Jennings pushed back on the other panelists, who were insisting that Americans — Republicans included — are upset with the way in which President Donald Trump is governing.
Jennings argued that Republicans were, in fact, getting exactly what they had voted for when Trump — through the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — began to make good on his promise to shrink the size of the federal government in addition to cutting waste, fraud, and abuse.
WATCH:
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&quot;You guys keep trying to create this fantasy land where Donald Trump is not popular, where Republicans are mad.&quot;
&quot;Can you name a single Democrat in Congress who is more popular than Donald Trump right now?&quot;
Scott Jennings continues to be a nightly one man wrecking ball on CNN. <a href="https://t.co/1RxOdkVZ9X">pic.twitter.com/1RxOdkVZ9X</a>
&mdash; Thomas Hern (@ThomasMHern) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThomasMHern/status/1896771566924701996?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Republicans absolutely voted for this, number one,&#8221; Jennings declared.
&#8220;Okay, people do not want government waste, that&#8217;s for sure, but they didn&#8217;t vote for foresters to get fired —&#8221; another panelist objected.
&#8220;Yes, they did,&#8221; Jennings pushed back.
&#8220;— they didn&#8217;t vote for the parks to be closed. They didn&#8217;t vote for veterans to get fired,&#8221; she continued.
&#8220;Look, you guys keep trying to create this fantasy land where Donald Trump is not popular, where Republicans are mad,&#8221; Jennings said.
&#8220;Republicans are mad, they shut down the town halls!&#8221; another panelist repeated the debunked talking point that recent town halls had been disrupted by outraged Republicans rather than by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/left-wing-groups-funded-anti-doge-protests-at-republican-town-halls-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">astroturfed activists</a> funded by left-wing groups.
Jennings was not convinced, turning back to the panel to ask, &#8220;Can you name a single Democrat in Congress who is more popular than Donald Trump right now?&#8221;
None of the panelists attempted to answer Jennings&#8217; question — and one even deflected, saying, &#8220;Scott, Abby&#8217;s the host, she can ask me the questions.&#8221;
&#8220;Republicans are so happy with this,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They&#8217;re not upset about it —&#8221;
&#8220;No, they are,&#8221; another panelist insisted.
&#8220;— the American people are happy about what&#8217;s going on right now because for the first time in a long time, a president said, &#8216;I&#8217;m actually going to reduce the size of government,'&#8221; Jennings concluded.

President Donald Trump

CNN Panel Blows Up Over Dem ‘Fantasy Land Where Donald Trump Is Not Popular’

CNN Panel Blows Up Over Democrats' 'Fantasy Land Where Donald Trump Is Not Popular'

Never-Trump commentator Tara Setmayer got into a heated exchange with Republican commentator Scott Jennings over President Donald Trump&#8217;s Sunday announcement naming former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino as Deputy Director of the FBI.
Setmayer and Jennings took part in a panel discussion during Monday&#8217;s broadcast of &#8220;CNN NewsNight&#8221; with host Abby Phillip, and Jennings kicked off the debate when he took issue with the way Setmayer had characterized Bongino&#8217;s qualifications for the job.
WATCH:
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Scott Jennings brutally reminds CNN Abby Philip that Dan Bongino&#39;s appointment to Deputy FBI Director is based on President Trump&#39;s authority and not on Democrats who refuse to get over their embarrassing election loss. <a href="https://t.co/EEHkvpghAH">pic.twitter.com/EEHkvpghAH</a>
&mdash; DeVory Darkins (@devorydarkins) <a href="https://twitter.com/devorydarkins/status/1894231862312407455?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;You just denigrated Bongino&#8217;s law enforcement credentials. He was a cop and a Secret Service agent, you denigrated his academic credentials, he has a Masters Degree —&#8221; Jennings began.
&#8220;Just because he&#8217;s a police officer doesn&#8217;t mean he&#8217;s qualified to run a 38,000-person, $11 billion budget agency, just like Pete Hegseth being a National Guardsman isn&#8217;t either &#8230; thank you for your service —&#8221; Setmayer interrupted, but Jennings was not finished.
&#8220;But you know what does? You know what does? Because he enjoys the confidence and the pleasure of the president,&#8221; Jennings said, alluding to the fact that Trump, as president, does not have to make staffing decisions based &#8220;qualifications&#8221; approved by Setmayer or anyone else.
Setmayer then argued that the real problem was Trump&#8217;s &#8220;judgment,&#8221; which she claimed was terrible.
&#8220;I&#8217;m sorry that you are not yet over the outcome of the election,&#8221; Jennings shot back. &#8220;In our system, we elect people — we elect people and they appoint people to office. That&#8217;s the way it works.&#8221;
&#8220;No. Look at what&#8217;s happening to our country! And I&#8217;ll never be over it, Scott. This is dismantling our democracy in front of our eyes,&#8221; she complained, giving no evidence as to how Dan Bongino serving in the FBI would &#8220;dismantle&#8221; democracy. &#8220;And you guys are okay with this.&#8221;
Former New York City Council Republican leader Joe Borelli chimed in then, referencing a few of former President Joe Biden&#8217;s appointees and suggesting they might also have been unqualified.
Borelli mentioned former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg&#8217;s meteoric rise to lead the Department of Transportation along with &#8220;the guy who was stealing luggage,&#8221; adding, &#8220;I think that anyone who&#8217;s at any point defending the Biden administration &#8230;&#8221;
&#8220;But this is the FBI,&#8221; Phillip interjected, and then attempted to pin Jennings down on the issue.
He argued simply that based on law enforcement experience, academic qualifications, and the fact that ultimately he and others serve &#8220;at the pleasure of the president,&#8221; Bongino was certainly qualified to take on the role.

Portraits of Dan Bongino

‘I’ll Never Be Over It!’: Never-Trumper Blows Up CNN Panel In Panic Over Dan Bongino

'I'll Never Be Over It!': Never Trumper Blows Up CNN Panel In Panic Over Dan Bongino

Dan Bongino

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/cnn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a> guest Nick Ackerman let the mask slip during a panel discussion on Wednesday evening, making it clear that he had no problem with working to nullify the results of an election if he believed the person who ultimately won was unqualified.
The panel was discussing the recent furor over billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — as well as the Democrat Attorneys General who had used the court system to try to stop their momentum.
RedState&#8217;s Bonchie posted video of the exchange, along with the following caption: &#8220;This is one of the most mask-off moments to occur since the election. Scott Jennings gets CNN to say the quiet part out loud: That they believe their proclamations of qualification should override elections.&#8221;
WATCH:
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This is one of the most mask-off moments to occur since the election.
Scott Jennings gets CNN to say the quiet part out loud: That they believe their proclamations of qualification should override elections.
 <a href="https://t.co/pQfFORWrAz">pic.twitter.com/pQfFORWrAz</a>
&mdash; Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) <a href="https://twitter.com/bonchieredstate/status/1889674506391736414?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Republican commentator Scott Jennings kicked off the conversation, saying that the actions of the attorneys general amounted to a continuation of the political prosecutions that were initially designed to prevent President Donald Trump from winning reelection.
&#8220;Here&#8217;s what I think is a joke — that you have these partisan hack Democrat attorney generals, they get together, and the only thing they know how to do is try to nullify the results of the last election by venue-shopping these district court judges,&#8221; Jennings said. &#8220;They find the most lunatic liberals they can, they file lawsuits knowing full well they are going to try to usurp the president&#8217;s authority, tie this up in court for years &#8230;&#8221;
Ackerman, a former Watergate prosecutor, weighed in on DOGE and the agencies that had been targeted for audits, saying, &#8220;That stuff is sacrosanct, and you&#8217;ve got people going in there who don&#8217;t know anything about —&#8221;
Bakari Sellers attempted to help Ackerman out, arguing that what the judges were issuing were &#8220;just restraining orders,&#8221; but Jennings was not convinced.
Going back to Ackerman&#8217;s point, he said, &#8220;What you just said is so profound. You said, &#8216;These people don&#8217;t know anything and they don&#8217;t know what they&#8217;re doing.'&#8221;
&#8220;That&#8217;s right,&#8221; Ackerman agreed.
&#8220;But they are appointees of the duly elected president, so your view, you&#8217;re here as our legal expert, but your view is because you don&#8217;t personally believe that they know enough, that the duly elected president — who appointed a Treasury Secretary and who appoints special appointees like Elon Musk — shouldn&#8217;t be able to act as the president because you don&#8217;t personally believe they know enough?&#8221;
&#8220;Well, they certainly —&#8221; Ackerman sputtered.
&#8220;Is that how it works?&#8221; Jennings asked. &#8220;Or do elections mean anything to you!&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s got nothing to do with elections,&#8221; Ackerman shot back, prompting a visual reaction from Jennings: &#8220;Whoa! Truth was told tonight. The truth was told.&#8221;

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CNN Guest Is Cool With Nullifying Elections If He Believes Winner (Trump) Doesn’t ‘Know Anything’

CNN Guest Admits He's Cool With Nullifying Elections If He Believes Winner Doesn't 'Know Anything'

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