Abby Phillip Gets Fed Up With Scott Jennings: ‘You Don’t Have to Defend Things… When You Can’t Figure Out What the Defense Is’

CNN NewsNight host Abby Phillip took Scott Jennings to task after the Republican strategist defended federal criminal investigations into Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D).

CBS News reported on Friday that the Department of Justice is investigating whether the two Democrats violated a federal law that criminalizes attempts to obstruct federal officials through force, intimidation, or threats. Walz and Frey have spoken out forcefully against the presence of federal immigration agents in the state, especially after 37-year-old Renee Good was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent last week.

At a press conference after the killing, Frey told ICE to “Get the f*ck out of Minneapolis.” Meanwhile, Walz asked citizens to record immigration agents and called on President Donald Trump to “end this occupation.”

The probe was quickly panned by legal experts. CNN legal analyst and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Elie Honig said the politicians’ words are “core-protected First Amendment political speech,” and that “DOJ has lost its damn mind.” Harry Litman, another former federal prosecutor, called the investigation “total garbage” and an “utter nonstarter.”

On Friday’s NewsNight, Jennings defended the Trump administration during an exchange in which Phillip told him he does not have to defend everything it does. In particular, she took issue with the idea that claiming Minneapolis is under federal “occupation” constitutes a “threat”:

PHILLIP: Where are the alleged threats from the mayor and the governor toward federal officials? Do they exist?

JENNINGS: Yeah. Look, I think they’ve made statements that you could reasonably consider to be threats toward ICE agents.

PHILLIP: Like what?

JENNINGS: And they’re gonna take these statements to a grand jury.

PHILLIP: Like what, Scott.

JENNINGS: Abby, they’ve made plenty of comments–

PHILLIP: You’ve gotta substantiate–

JENNINGS: –that indicate these people are, “We’re under federal occupation. We’re under federal occupation”?

PHILLIP: Is that a threat?

JENNINGS: It sounds like a threat to me, but we’ll see what it is.

PHILLIP: That is not a threat.

JENNINGS: That’s your opinion? I’ve got a different opinion.

[CROSSTALK]

PHILLIP: He might be wrong. It might be inappropriate, but it’s not a threat.

JENNINGS: I mean, if you want to move to Minneapolis and take up for these guys, go ahead. I’m just telling you what the point of view of the federal government might be.

PHILLIP: I’m just trying to understand what the point of view is. I’m still listening. What else do you got?

JENNINGS: They have made numerous statements, Abby, over and over and over again that they don’t think ICE should be in Minneapolis, that they don’t think federal immigration laws should be enforced, that they think that they think law enforcement has been put in danger by incitement. That’s their view. And they’re gonna take that to a grand jury. So, I don’t know what’s going to happen in the room, but we’ll see.

PHILLIP: None of those are threats.

JENNINGS: Ok, again, you’re welcome to just say things out loud and speak them into the air and hope and pray that that’s what happens. And maybe it will, but I don’t know.

PHILLIP: Just, listen. This is not something– you’re not– you don’t work for. Todd Blanche or Donald Trump as far as I know.

JENNINGS: No, I don’t even know them. And you don’t work for Tim Walz, as far as I know.

PHILLIP: You don’t have to defend things even when you can’t figure out what the defense is, because to me–

JENNINGS: I’m not defending or not– I’m just explaining what they think.

PHILLIP: You can’t even point to me– if we’re talking about words, you oughta be able to just point on plain paper, what are the threats. Ok? And if you can’t do it, then you can’t do it. That’s the end of the story.

JENNINGS: You’re right. You’re right. The story shouldn’t even exist. You’re right. Let’s do something else.

PHILLIP: Well, Scott,  I’ll let you say that. I’ll say that.

JENNINGS: We’ll just wave it away.

Watch above via CNN.