Anti-Trump Guests Call BS on Scott Jennings Over Epstein Files Take: ‘Be Honest About That, Scott!’

Anti-Trump panelists called BS on CNN GOP analyst Scott Jennings over his take on President Donald Trump and the release of the Epstein Files, demanding he “be honest” about the pressures that prompted the disclosures.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) was defeated in his reelection primary bid Tuesday night, losing to Trump-backed candidate Ed Gallrein.

Massie is the leader of a group of Republicans who joined Democrats to force the vote that eventually resulted in the release of the Epstein files after Trump and his administration spent months fighting the effort.

On Tuesday’s edition of CNN NewsNight, guest anchor Sara Sidner hosted a panel that included Jennings, Tara Setmayer, Lydia Moynihan, Denver Riggleman, and Ana Navarro.

When Jennings insisted he wanted to do “a little fact-checking”  by noting the near-unanimous vote and Trump’s signature on the law, Setmayer and Navarro not-so-gently reminded him of some important context:

TARA SETMAYER: Massie is another casualty of the retribution tour, but I think people need to understand that the reason why Donald Trump went after him was because he was not subservient to him on the Epstein files, and that is a problem, because America will remember who protected predators.

SCOTT JENNINGS: Can we just do a little bit of fact-checking on the Epstein issue? Did every member of the House Republican Conference except for one vote to release the Epstein files, yes or no?

SETMAYER: Because there was a discharge petition where they had to.

JENNINGS: The answer is yes.

SETMAYER: Yes.

JENNINGS: Did Donald Trump sign it into law, yes or no?

SETMAYER: Because he knew that he was going to lose the discharge petition, so be honest about that, Scott.

JENNINGS: The Republicans voted to release it, Donald Trump signed it. Now —

SETMAYER: Because there was a discharge petition and they were forced to put it on the floor, Scott. They weren’t — come on. If they were open to doing it, then they would not have had to go through a discharge petition.

JENNINGS: I know you’re trying to rearrange —

SETMAYER: No, I’m telling you the facts, Scott.

JENNINGS: But the facts are —

SETMAYER: Mike Johnson said it was unfortunate when it happened.

JENNINGS: The Republicans passed it and Trump signed it.

ANA NAVARRO: Scott, the White House brought in Lauren Boebert to the Situation Room and put all sorts of pressure on her to not vote for the discharge petition. And now Trump is going against Lauren Boebert. I mean, this Epstein thing is something that he has seen as a litmus test. And so, yes, I mean, you can argue whatever you want, but he’s not-

JENNINGS: Well, my point is every Republican voted for it. Are you saying every Republican will now get a primary?

SETMAYER: Why did he need a discharge petition to do it?

NAVARRO: But you know that they voted for it because there were a few Republicans, including Lauren Boebert, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Massie, who had the cojones, the courage, to go against Trump. And you know that Trump-

LYDIA MOYNIHAN: They had the courage in the last two years. He never cared about this until Trump took office. So-

NAVARRO: No, but listen-

MOYNIHAN: — let’s be very clear about the timing here.

NAVARRO: The people who voted for Donald Trump cared about this.

SETMAYER: That’s right.

NAVARRO: Part of the MAGA agenda, part of the — what happened in the — during the election is that people cared about the Epstein files.

Watch above via CNN NewsNight.

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