CNN’s MAGA mouthpiece Scott Jennings faced a chorus of laughter from fellow panelists for his latest Trumpy hot take.
Jennings, as many of President Trump’s most loyal lackeys have done, set about trying to normalize the 79-year-old’s latest announcement that, in return for $16 billion in withheld infrastructure funding, he wants some demands to be met.
Trump, who turns 80 in June, has been obsessed with his legacy in recent weeks, frantically expanding his colonial ambitions, re-designing Washington, D.C. in his garish image, and acrimoniously renaming the country’s premier arts center after himself.
He now reportedly wants to rename Washington-Dulles International Airport and Penn Station in New York City after, you guessed it, himself. While most people balked at the idea of Trump withholding funding to achieve this enforced honor, Jennings set about defending the president on CNN NewsNight on Thursday evening.
And the Republican analyst’s defense was so frenzied that he was laughed at by fellow panelists. “Here’s my argument. You could not possibly trust, if you were Donald Trump, knowing everything you’ve been through, you could not possibly trust the posterity somebody doing you right, knowing full well they’re going to do you dirty!” he reasoned.
This point instigated a furor, with Mediaite founder Dan Abrams saying, “I can’t believe you’re actually defending this one. I mean, I can’t believe this is real.”
Abrams turned to Deja Foxx, the 25-year-old Democratic activist dubbed “the next AOC," and added, “I mean, I agree with you. I thought this was a joke.”
Jennings asked, “What’s wrong with him demanding certain things in exchange for naming it after him?”
“You don’t think that that’s kind of bonkers?” Abrams shot back.
“He’s got to take care of himself,” Jennings spluttered. Abrams laughed in disbelief. “That’s absolutely wild,” host Abby Phillip chimed in. Abrams, still laughing, then caught a stray from Jennings.
“See, if left to people like Dan, he would never get anything!” the under-fire CNN contributor added.
“You don’t get a participation trophy for being the president of the United States,” Phillip added. “He’s a two-term president!” Jennings barked, “He’s gonna get something.”
