CNN’s token MAGA contributor Scott Jennings left a panel confused with his take on gun violence in the U.S. while defending Donald Trump’s federal takeover of Washington, D.C.
During a fiery debate alongside Newsnight host Abby Phillip and Democratic Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost, Jennings was pressed on why Republicans oppose stricter gun laws while the president has taken multiple steps to strip funding for gun-violence prevention programs.
“It’s a 30-day project,” Jennings said in relation to Trump ordering the National Guard to seize control of D.C.’s police force and deploy more federal law enforcement to patrol the streets of the capital.
“Last night there were 23 arrests, and they also picked up some illegal guns,” Jennings added. “Why don’t we give them 30 days, see the results? And then maybe the residents of D.C. and the leaders of D.C. can say, ‘Well, this worked. This didn’t. Here’s how we could tweak it and do better.’”
Phillip said it is “interesting” and “probably it’s a good thing” that Republicans are now talking about illegal guns on the streets, as for years they rejected calls for stricter gun regulation and insisted the number of firearms on the streets was not the issue in the country’s gun violence.
Phillip also noted the GOP have long hit out at D.C’s stricter gun laws making it harder to legally own a firearm, which Jennings now seems to be supporting.
“Republicans aren’t for illegal guns. Republicans are for responsible gun ownership,” Jennings said.
Frost then asked Jennings if that was the case, why had Trump stripped funding for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which included grants earmarked for local gun-violence prevention. Reuters reported last month that the Trump administration had terminated around $158 million in gun violence prevention grants in Democratic-led cities such as D.C., New York, and Los Angeles.
“Republicans are for legal gun ownership,” Jennings reiterated. “The laws of D.C. have obviously not been enforced to the point where the citizens believe they’re safe.”
Phillip then asked Jennings that if Republicans want fewer gun laws, how can he advocate for legal gun ownership while opposing as much regulation on guns.
“A gun becomes illegal when a violent person uses it on another person,” Jennings said.
Frost added this does not address the issue of guns being sold on the black market, and once again asked why Trump is scrapping gun-violence prevention initiatives “which is the reason why the last three years gun violence has gone down the most in the history of this country.”
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