Scott Jennings was called out on a CNN panel for claiming Republicans love President Donald Trump more than ever.
“The president is the head of the Republican Party. He‘s never been stronger among Republicans than he is right now,” he argued during a fiery debate on a panel on CNN’s State of the Union Sunday.
Jennings faced an immediate clap back on two fronts, with host Kasie Hunt firmly stating that Trump had “fallen back with Republicans in the polls” while former Biden communications director Kate Bedingfield piled on: “Is that why he spent six months fighting his party on the Epstein files?”
Jennings was reacting to polls showing Trump’s dipping popularity within the GOP, and insisted that any signs of weakness were “not a reality.”
The panel discussed Trump’s final rally of the year Friday, where he devoted far more time to discussing Melania’s “panties” than to affordability concerns.
Bedingfield called Trump’s lack of focus on big issues a “missed opportunity” as the 2026 midterms approach, adding that his rambling speeches may be alienating independents and moderates.
Former South Carolina Rep. Bakari Sellers’ take was more succinct. “I don’t know. I love my panelists that are here on this holiday season, but nobody acknowledged the fact that Donald Trump’s old,” he said.
Sellers added: “Like he’s extremely old and he is burgeoning on senility, and we can see that in the fact that we just went through a president who went through that.”
Bringing up 79-year-old Trump’s age didn’t go down well in front of Jennings, who interrupted to ask: “Are we really going to try this today?” and later shook his head as he blasted the comment as “unbelievable.”
The discussion devolved into a long back-and-forth over Trump’s age, with Sellers quipping that Trump resembled “someone’s old uncle.”
Bedingfield agreed that Trump was “doing the same thing” as Biden by masking signs of cognitive decline.
“We’re seeing increasing splits on key issues…. And so, you know, when you have lost control of your party giving these rambling speeches that maybe leave some question as to whether you’re totally in command, that is an issue that’s going to keep compounding on itself,” Bedingfield said.
Jennings, however, fired back.
“This may be your Christmas wish, but it is not a reality,” Jennings said, before scoffing and saying Trump had “never been stronger.”
As the other panelists raised examples of falling approval rates and infighting over issues such as Israel and Epstein, Jennings again repeated his claims that the MAGA leader could never fall.
“You guys have been desperate for ten years to find the moment where Donald Trump is no longer going to be accepted but the he is the leader of the Republican Party,” he said.
“He is going to continue to be the leader of the Republican Party.”
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