CNN’s MAGA mouthpiece Scott Jennings left journalists at the network furious after he shared Iran war propaganda from Donald Trump that contradicted their own reporting.
Several staff complaints were made against Jennings, a firebrand figure who is often rude and dismissive during his CNN appearances, after he claimed he received intel about why the president had launched an attack on Iran, according to Status.
“Senior Trump administration officials telling me that credible intelligence indicated Iran planned preemptive missile strikes against US military targets in the region, and against civilian targets as well,” Jennings posted on X on Feb. 28, the day the strikes started. “Failure to act would’ve resulted in mass US casualties.”
The same day, CNN published a bombshell report stating that Trump’s claim that Iran was on course to build missiles that “could soon reach the American homeland” had never been backed up by U.S. intelligence. Pentagon officials also reportedly told congressional staff that Iran had no plans to launch an unprovoked attack on U.S. forces or bases in the Middle East.
Multiple people within CNN were “frustrated, to put it mildly,” that Jennings posted to nearly 1 million X followers the anonymous claims that directly contradicted their own reporting, according to Status.
The MAGA commentator’s claims were seen as particularly egregious given that he is not a journalist, but rather just a talking head who is essentially paid by CNN to cause outrage for views and clicks.
The anger toward Jennings was significant enough that senior CNN leadership was made aware of the backlash from staff journalists.
Jennings remained undeterred and continued to push the disputed claim that Trump administration officials told him Iran had imminent plans to attack the U.S. on his radio show.
This is not the first time Jennings has caused tension within CNN because of his behavior.
In January, CNN chief Mark Thompson was confronted by staff during an all-hands meeting about why Jennings was allowed to continue violating the network’s editorial standards on air, including repeatedly referring to undocumented immigrants as “illegal aliens.”
Thompson defended Jennings’ disdainful rhetoric, saying the network does not “police contributors” to “the same extent” as its journalists.
Others have also questioned the value of frequently booking Jennings on programs such as Newsnight with Abby Phillip, particularly given his combative on-air style and frequent clashes with other panelists, especially with female ones.
The situation has grown so tense that some CNN producers now inform guests in advance that Jennings will be appearing alongside them, and give them the option to pull out, according to Status.
Thompson has said that the on-air arguments featuring Jennings—often clipped and shared widely on social media—serve as a “public service” because they capture “the actual debate and the anger and passion that’s part of the story.” That sentiment is reportedly not shared by many within CNN.
The Daily Beast has contacted CNN for comment.
