Kaitlan Collins Rejects Scott Jennings’ ‘Fake News’ Claim: ‘There’s Literally a Memo’

CNN’s Kaitlan Collins read part of a Trump administration memo to Scott Jennings after he disputed reports of physical requirements imposed on soldiers attending UFC fights at the White House.

On Friday, The Washington Post reported that the Department of Defense has been circulating internal memos discussing the kinds of soldiers who may attend “UFC Freedom 250” next month at the White House, which will host several fights.

“MUST MEET CURRENT WAIST-HEIGHT RATIO and current physical fitness standard,” one memo stated, adding that soldiers who want to attend must wear short-sleeve dress uniforms.

“Commands are encouraged to identify and nominate personnel from installations and units outside the NCR,” another internal message said, referring to the D.C. area. It specified that the required waist-height ratio is “less than 0.55.”

Later in the day, CNN reported that one senior Department of Defense official described the policy as “No fatties.”

On Friday’s edition of The Source, Jennings, who for some reason was joining the show from Louisville Slugger Field, where the Louisville Bats were playing the St. Paul Saints, took issue with the day’s reporting:

JENNINGS: I asked the White House point blank, is this true? And I was told, quote, “Fake news from The Washington Post.” So, without being in the middle of it, I can only tell you what I’ve been told by the White House. There are no restrictions. They are inviting members of the military. They’re excited to have members of the military there. And as for these Democrats who are criticizing this, why do they have to be such fun vacuums? This is cool. Teddy Roosevelt had boxing matches at the White House. Donald Trump is the modern Teddy Roosevelt.

[…]

COLLINS: But there’s literally a memo that said “ticket recipients are required to meet the Department of War waist-to-height ratio standard of less than 0.55, as well as all service-specific physical fitness test requirements. That means troops would have to have a maximum 37-inch waist for the average man, and a 35-inch waist for the average woman.” I mean, there’s a memo on it.

JENNINGS: Well, look, I know the military has standards on physical fitness. Beyond that, I don’t know what to say about it other than the White House says they’re happy to have military members come to this awesome event at the White House. And it sounds to me like it’s nitpicky and will find a way to criticize something that otherwise was kind of a communication stroke of genius.

The Bats won the game 11-7.

Watch above via CNN.

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