‘You Have No Idea How Dishonest You Are’: CNN Panel Piles on Scott Jennings

Scott Jennings got several earfuls from fellow panelists on Wednesday’s CNN NewsNight, where he slammed Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) over a remark about Natalie Harp, the executive assistant to President Donald Trump.

During a reelection campaign speech on Sunday, Ossoff said of Trump, “He golfs and trades stocks. See, he doesn’t want to do the job; he wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie to their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the Emir of Qatar.”

On NewsNight, Mediaite founder Dan Abrams said those criticizing Ossoff over the comment should also call out Trump when he says demeaning things about women.

“If you’re gonna take that position, you better also be criticizing the way Donald Trump talks about women’s appearances and looks on a regular basis,” he said. “So, I’m happy for someone to say, ‘Look, I think it was inappropriate. I think it was sexist.’ But you better also be saying that about Donald Trump, if I’m even gonna take you seriously.”

Next, Jennings, who routinely defends Trump, criticized Ossoff for being out of bounds. His comments kicked off a boisterous discussion featuring Abrams, Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Democratic operative Keith Boykin, and host Abby Phillip:

JENNINGS: I expect Ossoff to criticize Donald Trump. I expect every Democrat running for president to criticize Trump. What I thought was appalling about this is that Harp is not a public figure. She’s not a household name. Nobody knows who she is. And when he injected her into this, he knew what he was doing, which is punching down on someone who’s effectively defenseless.

ABRAMS: Doesn’t Donald Trump do that all the time?

BOYKIN: All the time.

MOSKOWITZ: What do you mean? He’s doing it right now while we’re here.

JENNINGS: If you–

MOSKOWITZ: Stop! There’s no rules anymore. Donald Trump broke all of those.

JENNINGS: Are you defending him?

MOSKOWITZ Robert Reiner dies, Donald Trump cheers his death. There are not rules anymore.

BOYKIN: Robert Mueller dies–

MOSKOWITZ: There are no rules anymore. You might not like it. Donald Trump is the king of trolls. What I find amazing is that the best trolls can’t take incoming. I don’t care who they are.

JENNINGS: Is she a troll?

MOSKOWITZ: No, but Trump is.

JENNINGS: But he didn’t insult Trump. He insulted a female who can’t defend herself.

MOSKOWITZ: But the right can’t take any incoming.

BOYKIN: She’s a White House staff member.

MOSKOWITZ: Cannot take any incoming.

JENNINGS: It’s not the right and it’s not Trump. It’s a single, defenseless woman.

MOSKOWITZ She’s not defenseless.

JENNINGS: Yes, she is.

MOSKOWITZ: Kaitlan Collins asks a real question and Trump demeans her every single solitary day.

PHILLIP: Let me go ahead and just play it because there’s just such a long history of this: Trump punching down, insulting women. Let’s just play.

[Montage of Trump]

MEGYN KELLY, TO TRUMP IN 2015: You’ve called women you don’t like fat pigs, dogs, slobs, and disgusting animals. Your Twitter account–

TRUMP: Only Rosie O’Donnell.

…

HILLARY CLINTON IN 2016: But what we want to do is to replenish the Social Security Trust Fund.

TRUMP: Such a nasty woman.

…

TRUMP, TO KAITLAN COLLINS: You are the worst reporter. No wonder, CNN has no ratings because of people like you. You know, she’s a young woman. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile. I’ve known you for 10 years. I didn’t think I’ve ever see a smile on your face.

COLLINSL Well, I’m asking you about survivors of Jeffrey Epstein.

…

FEMALE REPORTER: If there’s nothing incriminating in the files, Sir, why not–

TRUMP: Quiet. Quiet, piggy.

[End of montage]

BOYKIN: Unbelievable.

PHILLIP: “Quiet, piggy.” I mean, Scott, Dan’s question was pretty straightforward. If you’re gonna be outraged over “traveling on a plane with Natalie,” are you going to be outrage over all those things?

JENNINGS: I do not believe in demeaning women in any way, number one. Number two–

BOYKIN: Not answering the question.

JENNINGS: This is not–

BOYKIN: Not answering the question.

PHILLIP: So did the president demean women and was that the acceptable is the question–

JENNINGS: The issue I have with this is–

BOYKIN: Are you outraged or not about that?

JENNINGSThe issue I have with this is–

BOYKIN: Not answering the question.

JENNINGS: Natalie Harp–

BOYKIN: Not answering the question.

JENNINGS: –is not a public figure.

[CROSSTALK]

JENNINGS: She has no ability to defense herself–

BOYKIN: You are not answering the question! You’re avoiding the question again, Scott Jennings!

[CROSSTALK]

JENNINGS: By the way you have no idea how loud this is.

BOYKIN: You have no idea how dishonest you are to come on and say this stuff.

Watch the rest of the exchange above via CNN.

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