‘Excuse Me?!’ Scott Jennings Stuns CNN’s Abby Phillip With Take on Critics of Voter ID Law

CNN anchor Abby Phillip and her panel were stunned by a take from CNN GOP analyst Scott Jennings on opposition to voter ID laws, causing Phillip to do a double-take and another guest to exclaim, “That’s so offensive!”

The so-called SAVE Act — which just passed the House of Representatives by a 218 – 213 with only one Democrat joining Republicans — has taken heated criticism from civil rights groups and others.

Chief among the complaints is that tens of millions of voters don’t have access to or would have difficulty accessing the specific types of ID required. Women and Black voters, among others, are much more likely to be affected.

On Wednesday’s edition of CNN NewsNight, Phillip discussed the issue with a panel comprised of Jennings, Charles Blow, Alencia Johnson, Chris Madel, and Ana Navarro.

Jennings drew fire when he characterized the complaint as a belief by opponents that women, Black voters, and rural people “are too stupid to figure out how to register to vote”:

JENNINGS: Does it — does it concern you that you’re making all these claims, you’ve yet to layout how it’s hurting anyone but 76 percent of Black voters think we should show an ID to vote 80 percent of Hispanic voters, 83 percent of the American people? Are you saying that Black voters are too dumb to know what’s good for them? I mean it sounds pretty condescending.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIP: The Save Act isn’t just –the Save Act isn’t just —

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIP: Just to be clear, the Save Act is not just about IDs.

(CROSSTALK)

JENNINGS: — that want voter ID.

PHILLIP: Just to be clear, the Save Act is not just about IDs.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIP: The Save Act is not just about IDs. The Save Act is about proof of citizenship. So, it doesn’t — actually

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIP: We talked about this — I was about to say we talked about this before. It’s not — it actually — there’s an argument to be made that red state voters, women, poor White voters could be —

(CROSSTALK)

JENNINGS: You think they’re dumb, too. Don’t you? I mean that’s the thing.

(CROSSTALK)

JENNINGS: Hearing these arguments

PHILLIP: Hold on.

JENNINGS: I’ve heard them all-week-long.

PHILLIP: Scott, hold on, Hold on, Scott. Please don’t. No, no.

(CROSSTALK)

JOHNSON: There’s a deflection from talking about Donald Trump’s racism right there.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIP: You should be thinking about your constituents and — or your —

JENNINGS: I think they’re smart enough to figure out how to register to vote, Abby.

PHILLIP: Hold on, hold on. Most Americans don’t have a passport. Many Americans don’t have access to their birth certificate. Many women, a majority of women who change their names for marriage have to provide additional proof that they’ve changed their names in order to register to vote.

(CROSSTALK)

JENNINGS: Listen, this — all-week-long, all-week-long, I have heard Democrats with the same argument.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIP: So Scott, why don’t you actually respond to the substance of what I’m saying —

JENNINGS: I am and the substance is this.

PHILLIP: — as opposed to making this about something that it’s not.

JENNNINGS: You’re saying —

PHILLIP: It’s not just about voter ID. It’s also about who has access to —

(CROSSTALK)

JENNINGS: — you’re saying married women, Black voters, and rural people are too stupid to figure out how to register to vote?

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIP: Excuse me?

BLOW: Scott, that’s so offensive! That is so offensive!

(CROSSTALK)

JENNINGS: Are you saying they can’t figure out how to vote?

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIP: Scott, I am saying —

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIP: I’m just saying a fact that a majority of Americans do not have passports. Many Americans, including White people, okay, do not have their original birth certificate or access

JENNINGS: You didn’t say —

(CROSSTALK)

BLOW: — all for the proof of this.

PHILLIP: Yes, because that is also relevant. It doesn’t matter to me where people live. JENNINGS: I guess I have little more faith in rural America and married women than you do.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIP: I don’t know why you think — why you’re making this about whether you’re smart or not.

(CROSSTALK)

JENNINGS: You’re saying that they can’t vote, that they can’t figure out how to document to register to vote?

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIP: Scott, access to documentation of proof of where you were born or proof of citizenship is an additional thing that people will have to —

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIP: It is a barrier.fexc

Watch above via CNN NewsNight.

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