CNN’s Scott Jennings Asks For Example of Trump Contradicting Himself On Iran — Gets Earful In Response

CNN GOP analyst Scott Jennings got an earful from anchor Abby Phillip and another panelist when he asked for an example of President Donald Trump giving contradictory statements about his Iran war.

Trump posted an announcement that the United States was in the process of attacking Iran in a video message from Mar-a-Lago, and since then, at least six American servicemembers have been killed in the fighting. The strikes took out senior Iranian leaders, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Amid widespread disapproval of the attacks, Trump and his top officials and allies have offered a blizzard of different messages on the war.

On Monday’s edition of CNN NewsNight, Phillip hosted a panel with Rogin, Hagar Chemali, Max Boot, Jennings, and Cornel West to discuss the issue.

When Phillip accused Trump of saying “contradictory things in almost every single interview,” Jennings asked for an example. Phillip and Rogin delivered multiple examples:

JENNINGS: The president did release two statements over the weekend. Number three, the Congress, I think, is going to debate —

PHILLIP: On social media.

JENNINGS: — and vote — so, is that —

PHILLIP: Yes. I mean —

JENNINGS: Is that a problem?

PHILLIP: Look, I think it is a problem that the president hasn’t gone — you know, he hasn’t given a press conference. He hasn’t — you know, he hasn’t really laid out fully what the strategy is. He’s given probably over a dozen interviews over the last two days and he’s said contradictory things in almost every single interview. So, there is a what missing piece —

JENNINGS: What is contradictory?

PHILLIP: What is contradictory? Contradictory is saying one thing in one interview and another.

JENNINGS: No. What — give me an example. I mean, look —

ROGIN: He said we want regime change, we don’t want regime change. He said we know the people that were going to replace the ayatollah, then he said, we killed the people who are going to replace the ayatollah, so we don’t know them. He said, we want the people of Iran to rise up and free themselves and fight the regime, and then he said, we’re happy to work with the regime remnants, if somebody emerges from the —

PHILLIP: He said that this could be over in two days. Then the next day, he said it could be over —

ROGIN: He said it could be over in five weeks. He said it could be over in two days to four weeks. He literally said every single option on every single —

PHILLIP: Here’s the point. Here’s the point. There’s been —
ROGIN: It’s a total mess.

PHILLIP: There’s been contradictory statements not just from the president but from the secretary of state, from the vice president, from the secretary of defense about what the objectives really were here and why the American people should support this. And I just would ask, if we are going to be in a four-week or longer conflict, even if it’s four days, why not go to the American people and get the vote? If this is popular, if this is supported, get the vote.

JENNINGS: Well, look, presidents have to make national security decisions based on what they think is in the best interest of the nation in that moment, and that’s what the president has done here. I agree with you that I think the president and the administration do need to lay out for the American people, continue to lay out, are we meeting our objectives? I feel like they’re doing that.

Watch above via CNN NewsNight.

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