CNN GOP analyst Scott Jennings flipped out on his tablemates during a heated fracas that featured Jennings daring colleagues to accuse him of being a Holocaust denier.
Trump Secretary of Education Linda McMahon testified Wednesday at a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing, during which Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) asked her if refusing to hire a Holocaust denier counts as an impermissible “litmus test,” to which McMahon replied, “I believe there should be diversity of viewpoints relative to teachings and opinions on campuses.”
On Wednesday night’s edition of CNN NewsNight, CNN anchor Abby Phillip was joined by a panel that included Jennings, Dan Koh, Reecie Colbert, Brad Todd, and Ana Navarro.
Phillip and Jennings got into it immediately as Jennings tried to argue that McMahon’s response wasn’t actually a response to the question that Takano asked, and Phillip strenuously disagreed.
But things really got hot when Jennings claimed the group was accusing McMahon of “being a Holocaust denier,” and at one point dared Phillip to level the accusation at him and Todd:
COLBERT: She didn’t have a note card in front of her to tell her the answer and this is what happens when you have somebody who lied about having an education degree. They didn’t teach about the holocaust maybe when she was getting her French degree.UNKNOWN: You all– wait.COLBERT: If she actually has it.(CROSSTALK)JENNINGS: This is outrageous!
(CROSSTALK)JENNINGS: You’re accusing her of being a holocaust denier!(CROSSTALK)PHILLIP: No. No.(CROSSTALK)PHILLIP: Hold on! Hold on a second! Excuse me.(CROSSTALK)PHILLIP: Everybody, everybody stop! Everybody stop for a second. Excuse me, Scott. Nobody accused her of being a holocaust denier.JENNINGS: You’re implying that that’s what she wants.PHILLIP: No one did that.JENNINGS: You’re implying.PHILLIP: – It is completely — Scott. Just stop for just a second.(CROSSTALK)JENNINGS: The line of inquiry here is an implication that she’s — you can’t do that.(CROSSTALK)PHILLIP: It is completely disingenuous for you to sit at this table and say that we accuse her of being a holocaust denier.(CROSSTALK)PHILLIP: Absolutely no one said that. It is disingenuous.JENNINGS: How are you portraying it? How are you portraying it?PHILLIP: It’s disingenuous. It’s disrespectful.(CROSSTALK)PHILLIP: Excuse me.TODD: It was a disingenuous question.PHILLIP: How is this a disingenuous question? The other part of the question is, if you are an election denier, and Harvard said, you can’t be an election denier and teach at this school, is that a litmus test?TODD: The question is what litmus test is Harvard putting on its faculty?PHILLIP: Okay.TODD: We know they have –PHILLIP: We got to go. But it is very clear that neither of you want to answer a very simple question.JENNINGS: So now, you’re the guest? Are you accusing us?PHILLIP: Are — is Harvard –JENNINGS: Are you accusing him and me?PHILLIP: Is Harvard allowed or any school –JENNINGS: Go ahead and do it!PHILLIP: Is any school allowed to say that these are facts, and if you don’t believe in facts, you cannot teach here? Are they allowed to do that?JENNINGS: The question is, what is the litmus test today?PHILLIP: Scott, don’t — do not answer a question — do not –(CROSSTALK)PHILLIP: When you answer my question with a question, you are dodging. So, answer the question.JENNINGS: Well, you asked me questions that I think kind of ridiculous framing of this issue then I think you’re missing a true meaning.(CROSSTALK)PHILLIP: How is this ridiculous framing?(CROSSTALK)PHILLIP: Because you either — you either believe that there are things that are facts or you don’t.JENNINGS: I do believe in facts, and I also believe that that member of Congress was creating a disingenuous, ridiculous question designed for this “gotcha” moment right here.PHILLIP: Okay. It is very telling that you are not able or willing to even entertain an answer. You could answer –JENNINGS: I gave you an answer.PHILLIP: — the question right now and you have refused to do it.TODD: Wait a minute. Harvard has a right to have any litmus test theywant for their faculty. They’re a private institution.PHILLIP: Okay. All right. Well, there’s the answer to your question. Thank you, Brad.
Watch above via CNN NewsNight.