Scott Jennings Is the Most Important Figure at CNN

AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis

Pro-Trump CNN contributor Scott Jennings is a lightning rod for attention of all stripes. Viewers on the left love to hate his pithy — and occasionally smug — retorts to the standard anti-Trump commentary from the majority of the network’s contributors. He has been all but deified by the right for what they see as his ability to articulate plain truths in enemy territory.

In the current kayfabe dynamic that defines cable news programming, he is both the perfect heel and face; in common parlance, both villain and hero. That’s what propelled his sudden rise to cable news stardom, and it’s also why he’s now the most important figure at CNN.

A Kentucky native who has worked with both former President George W. Bush and Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), it has come as a surprise to many that Jennings has emerged as perhaps the most persuasive advocate for Trumpism on television. Despite regularly ginning up controversy — or, perhaps, because of it — he gets booked on what seems like every CNN panel because he can make compelling arguments on behalf of President Donald Trump and the MAGA agenda — even when facing down half a dozen voices who disagree.

I would be remiss not to shout out the CNN programmers who decided to pivot the show Jennings is most known for, NewsNight, from a standard hosted program (like virtually every other hour on the network) to a fiery roundtable debate on the hot-button political issues of the day. It’s a latter-day version of Crossfire, the widely-derided CNN show of yesteryear that, in hindsight, was the progenitor of a winning formula across platforms like YouTube, which have exploded in popularity over the last decade.

Last year, NewsNight pivoted from the standard “CNN Show” into something that actually surprised viewers: With the remarkably talented Abby Phillip at the helm, the show packed its hour with spirited debates, occasionally explosive verbal brawls, and plenty of theatrics. It has been mocked for those theatrics in the industry, but it regularly throws off viral moments and remains a unique bit of programming on a network that has seen its viewership steadily decline over the past four years.

Of course, cable news success is not measured in Mediaite posts (though some on-air talent seem to believe otherwise), but on a schedule of shows that are losing viewers, NewsNight has been a big ratings win for CNN. According to Nielsen, NewsNight with Abby Phillip remains a standout performer for CNN, ranking as the network’s most-watched program among P25-54 for the last three months. NewsNight has grown by double-digit margins year-over-year among both demos (up more than 30% in the younger demo and up 12% overall).

Does its viewership compare favorably to Gutfeld!, the competition over on Fox News? No. But a show’s ratings success is often considered in terms of trends, and NewsNight is the outlier for CNN right now because, as many of its shows shrink in terms of audience and influence, NewsNight is actually growing. The format can take much of the credit for that, as can the host of the proceedings — Phillip’s calming demeanor and nimble ability to let air competing points of view in the same manner a host would direct a spirited chat at a dinner party.

But a great dinner party needs entertaining guests, and that brings us back to Jennings, who has a unique role on a show that is increasingly rare in today’s political media ecosystem. The ease with which he pushes back on progressive doctrine, promotes the MAGA agenda, and defends Trump’s latest controversy in a pithy and common-sense manner has made him a star among CNN’s conservative viewers and actually might even resonate with what my pal Dan Abrams calls the “marginalized moderate majority.”

And his style of commentary is one that I suspect correlates to improved ratings on NewsNight, which in turn explains why CNN viewers now see Jennings popping up all over the network — especially during big event coverage like debates, political conventions, and presidential speeches.

It may come as offensive to some old school cable news purists, but there is value in what Jennings does, even if you disagree with his views: He provides a counterpoint to the anti-Trump groupthink that pervades much of the traditional media, poking and prodding at the conventional wisdom that if left un-poked and un-prodded would render a network like CNN not just boring, but intellectually lazy.

Aside from Jessica Tarlov on Fox News — a regular co-host on the top-rated show The Five — it’s hard to imagine any contributor so regularly providing a different point of view to a mass of the network’s viewers. And in the case of Jennings, they are views held by tens of millions of Americans.

Early in my television career, I learned from mentor and television pioneer Fred Graver that the keys to great television are close observation and surprising viewers with something unique. Scarcity is the economic term, but it applies to what Jennings brings to CNN: a unique, well-argued take.

Based on my interactions with several CNN on-air personalities, Jennings is popular within the network too. I suspect his unique brand of commentary also correlates to improved ratings on NewsNight, which explains why CNN viewers now see Jennings pop up all over the network — especially during big event coverage like debates, political conventions, and presidential speeches.

A likable colleague and a show-runner’s dream is tough to find. But maybe most importantly I don’t think you can name another CNN personality who is equally irreplaceable on the network. Yes, losing Jake Tapper or Anderson Cooper would be a real setback for them, but they have plenty of potential replacements. If Jennings were to leave, who exactly would fill his role?

My point exactly.

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.