CNN Anchor Corners Scott Jennings Over Trump Fraud Case vs. Letitia James

CNN anchor Abby Phillip cornered GOP analyst Scott Jennings over the fraud case New York Attorney General Letitia James brought against President Donald Trump amid the bombshell James Indictment.

News broke Thursday that AG Letitia James has been indicted on mortgage fraud charges, widely seen as the latest shoe to drop in Trump’s promised campaign of retribution against perceived enemies. James won a half-billion-dollar fraud judgment against Trump that was later set aside as “excessive.”

Other prosecutors declined to bring charges against James, and AG James calls the charges “baseless.”

On Thursday’s edition of CNN NewsNight, Phillip hosted a panel comprised of Scott Jennings, Christine Quinn, Tim Parrish, Dan Koh, Judge Shira Scheindlin, and Tara Palmeri.

During a discussion of the case, Phillip asserted that Jennings couldn’t simultaneously claim the case against Trump was meritless and the case against James is legitimate.

“She’s either wrong about Trump or you are wrong about Trump. Which one is it?” Phillip said:

PHILLIP: But, Scott, I mean, wasn’t the argument about that case, that civil case that she brought, that there were no victims to the alleged wrongdoing? Wasn’t that the argument? So, then wouldn’t — if you were to apply that to this situation, how do you justify then charging her over $18,000, which allegedly — which, by the way, again, like those are allegations. We don’t know if there were communications between her and the mortgage company about a change of status for the property or anything like that. We don’t know about that. But do you think that this is more of a victim — a crime with a victim than the one against Trump?

JENNINGS: I can only read back to you her own words. When powerful people cheat to get better loans, it comes at the expense of hardworking people. That’s what James said. The standard she applied to Trump.

PHILLIP: So, you think that applies to Trump then?

JENNINGS: I mean, she thought it did.

PHILLIP: So, Scott, hold on, do you think that applies to Trump? If you think it applies to her, fine.

JENNINGS: I’m giving you her justification for prosecution was that I don’t know why they wouldn’t want it.

PHILLIP: Listen, as they say, two wrongs don’t make a right. She’s either wrong about Trump or you are wrong about Trump. Which one is it?

JENNINGS: No. Look, it she brought the case. She went through the process in New York. What happened, happened. Now, she’s got a case against her. The process will play out.

PHILLIP: So, Trump’s case is legitimate then in your mind?

JENNINGS: Oh, I don’t think it should have ever been brought. I think it was a — I think it was a travesty but —

QUINN: But you can’t have it both ways, one way with Trump, one way with Tish. They are not. You cannot have those two different ways.

PHILLIP: Go ahead.

PARRISH: I totally agree with that. And this video that you showed is even premature. This goes way back to 2018 when she ran. The quote she said is, I’m going to bring — I’m going to shine a light in every dark corner of Donald Trump’s real estate dealings. And now that’s what’s happening to her. A prosecutor is shining that light in all of her real estate deals.

SCHEINDLIN: Well, she wasn’t a real estate developer.

PARRISH: It doesn’t matter.

(CROSSTALKS)

PHILLIP: Hold on one second. Hold on. Let me let her —

SCHEINDLIN: Corrupt business. I’m saying that case, civil case, was about a corrupt business, a man who spent years and decades in New York with real estate and she knew that. And a lot of folks have had a lot of doubts about Trump for a long time when it comes to finances. This wasn’t new. So, she had a basis.

JENNINGS: I mean, in her debate, though, she wasn’t complaining about his real estate. She was complaining about all the political issues.

PHILLIP: She’s talking about the —

(CROSSTALKS)

PHILLIP: She’s talking about the quote that Tim brought up, which was about the real estate.

QUINN: But what was wrong about what she said in that campaign? She said the issue she believes in, the issue she’s concerned about and the issues like the environment that she was going to defend as an attorney general. Isn’t that what a candidate for attorney general should do, tell us what they care about, tell us who they disagree with and tell us they’re going to fight it?

(CROSSTALK)

She didn’t say, prosecute.

Watch above via CNN NewsNight.