Anti-Trump Conservative Challenges Republican Strategist in Tense Exchange: ‘Listen, Scott…’
Republican strategist Scott Jennings and former GOP operative Stuart Stevens clashed during a discussion about whether Republicans should vote for Vice President Kamala Harris.
Last week’s Democratic National Convention featured a handful of Republicans and ex-Republicans who have thrown their support behind Harris as she tries to defeat former President Donald Trump in November.
One of those speakers was former Georgia Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan, who is now a CNN contributor. During Monday’s CNN NewsNight, Jennings said he was miffed by part of his speech.
“Geoff said something in his speech that actually hit–” Jennings began, before adding a caveat about Duncan, who was not at the table. “And by the way, he’s our colleague and I’m not– this is not a personal attack. But he said, he sort of inferred that if you don’t vote for Harris, you’re not a patriot.”
“I would agree with that,” Stevens replied.
“And I have to tell you how profoundly poorly that’s gonna hit a lot of Republican ears,” Jennings continued. “Look, there are plenty of Republican voters who are lukewarm, maybe wish he hadn’t run again, whatever. But to be told that your… patriotism is dependent upon your choice because you Republican government? I thought that was a poor argument.”
“You prefer someone who didn’t try to overthrow the government of the United States,” responded Stevens, referring to anti-Trump voters.
CNN commentator Ashley Allison replied by noting that Trump inspired the Capitol insurrection, deeming the act “not patriotic.”
“Because that happened, that does not mean I… or any other Republican has to give up on every single value that we’ve ever had – whether it has to do with taxes or the court or any other policy,” Jennings said. “You’re asking Republicans to turn over the government to absolute radical liberals over one day.”
“It’s not one day,” Stevens interrupted, which led to crosstalk.
“Listen!” Jennings protested.
“No, you listen, Scott,” Stevens shot back.
After some crosstalk, Jennings and Stevens – who both worked for Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign – had this exchange:
STEVENS: I can remember being on the bus with you with Romney. And something really stuck with me. And one of the aides who worked for you had misspelled something in a press release. And you very, very nicely – you weren’t mean. You said, “This is someone running for the presidency of the United States, to sit in the Oval Office. We have to be at that level and treat it with that respect.”
How do you say that, and you get Donald Trump – a sexual predator, a criminal, someone who we know is just a horrible human being who doesn’t believe in what we believe in rule of law, and how all this policy stuff? They’re not gonna remember what the tax rate was… Basically, it is a character test, Scott.
JENNINGS: It’s more than that. It’s more than what the tax rate is. Profound policy implications and decisions are coming from the next administration. I firmly believe if the Democrats win and if they somehow keep control of the Senate, which I don’t think is likely but is possible, they will eliminate the filibuster and they will change this country in a way that we can never recover. That is important to me. Now listen, I don’t begrudge your viewpoint. But you cannot begrudge a Republican for wondering, hey maybe it’s not a great idea for us to drive off the left side of the road so far, we can never recover.
Watch above via CNN.
