A former Trump administration official called out CNN’s resident MAGA pundit for heaping praise on President Trump on air and then taking a very different tone when the cameras stop rolling.
Miles Taylor, an alumnus of Donald Trump’s first presidential term who has since become one of his loudest critics, delivered a blistering assessment of Scott Jennings, a former George W. Bush administration aide, on Tuesday.
“You know who’s a perfect metaphor for the GOP? Scott Jennings,” Taylor, 39, wrote in a post on X.
“A pundit who mocks Trump with us during commercial breaks — but fawns over Trump when the camera is rolling,” he continued. “Brave enough to speak out… in the green room.”
Jennings publicly opposed Trump during the 2016 election cycle, but has since emerged as a staunch supporter of the president—at least publicly. The Daily Beast has reached out to Jennings for clarification.
Taylor’s accusation comes after a heated on-air clash between the two men Monday night on CNN, where they sparred over Trump’s surprise war with Iran, launched in coordination with Israel on Feb. 28 without congressional approval. The Daily Beast has reached out to Taylor for additional comment.
During the segment, Taylor cast doubt on Trump’s weekend claim that he was engaged in “VERY GOOD AND PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS REGARDING A COMPLETE AND TOTAL RESOLUTION OF OUR HOSTILITIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST” with Iranian officials—who have denied such talks took place.
The former Department of Homeland Security chief of staff went on to allege that U.S. allies in the Middle East had privately expressed frustration with Trump’s handling of the conflict—prompting a sharp exchange.
“Anyone who plays chess knows that. Donald Trump hasn’t played chess. Donald Trump doesn’t know how to play chess,” Taylor said. “And our allies tonight even told me in meetings that because Donald Trump kept shifting his objective—”
“You keep saying that. Who was that? Who was it?” Jennings interrupted.
“Well, I’ll tell you, when the president tells us who he’s negotiating with,” Taylor responded. When Jennings pressed further, Taylor said, “I talk to people from the region all the time, Scott,” to which Jennings shot back: “The region or with governments?”
The pair also clashed over Trump’s Sunday announcement that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents would be deployed to airports to help ease travel disruptions, as passengers face crippling delays tied to a partial government shutdown that has left Transportation Security Administration staff unpaid.
For his part, Jennings has previously drawn attention for controversial takes on Trump’s moves on Iran, describing the conflict as merely a “three-week situation.” He also referred to the president’s decision to bomb nuclear sites in the country last June as a “de-escalation” of tensions with the Islamic regime.
