Scott Jennings Spars With Former Biden Staffer in Heated Redistricting Argument: ‘Let Me Finish!’
CNN’s resident Republican Scott Jennings got into a heated back-and-forth Democratic political strategist Ashley Allison after she claimed there was “racial redistricting” taking place in an effort to hurt Black voters.
The two squabbled on State of the Union on Sunday.
“You literally are taking Memphis, that is a city with Black voters, and you split it in three, stretching three thousand miles,” Allison said.
“Whose the current Democrat congressman, or is it a Black congressman?” Jennings asked.
Allison — who worked in the Obama-Biden Administration and later served as the National Coalitions Director for the Biden-Harris campaign in 2020 — responded, “just because Black people are allowed to like people that don’t look like them.”
That’s when things went up a level.
“Exactly. And that is the point I wanted you to make — just because you’re not going to have a Black congressman, why is it that a Republican can’t do just as well representing Black voters as a Democrat?” Jennings shot back.
By that point, Allison had started talking over Jennings. She told him “Because they aren’t electing… you are making my point actually, the assumption is Black people will only elect Black people—”
Jennings started to say the assumption was Black voters only elect Democrats, but Allison sniped at him “Nope! Let me finish.”
Anchor Jake Tapper backed Allison, reiterating “let her finish.”
She then went on for a moment, saying, “Black people don’t elect Black people based on race, they elect people that are aligned with their moral, their beliefs in justice.” She added that had just been taken away in Tennessee and other states.
“Black voters are still fully franchised and [can] go vote for whoever they want. It just doesn’t have to be a Democrat,” Jennings said.
Allison told him that was not what she was saying as Jennings made his final comment.
Watch above via CNN.
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