Scott Jennings reminded his fellow CNN panelists that he’s paid a lot of money to be there while casting the president’s latest meltdown as perfectly functional.
Earlier on Friday, the Supreme Court shut down President Donald Trump’s signature tariff policy. The president has since been furious, giving a rage-filled press conference in which he said the justices who ruled against him are “disgraceful” and “an embarrassment to their families.”
On CNN NewsNight, Jennings, as usual, jumped to defend Trump. The 48-year-old claimed that the president had calmly accepted the Supreme Court’s decision, despite Trump’s public meltdown from a dimmed briefing room just hours earlier.
“It was a big breaking news day. But I just think we ought to acknowledge something. This is a properly functioning government today,” Jennings said. “The president of the United States, the head of the executive branch, made a policy decision.”
“The Supreme Court, that renders legal opinions about these kinds of decisions, made a decision. They said, ‘You can’t do that.’ The president of the United States said, ‘Ok, I agree, and I will acknowledge your decision. I am going to use a different statute to try to do what I want to do,’” he said.
“This is properly functioning government,” Jennings repeated, adding that the ruling disproves criticism that the Supreme Court is fully in Trump’s court.
“Obviously, that narrative was obliterated today,” Jennings said. “I thought the ruling was sound. I think the president is sound to try other statutes.”
Jennings was interrupted by Keith Boykin, who worked as an aide to former President Bill Clinton,
“That was a very charitable explanation of what took place today, Scott. You should be paid a lot of money from the Trump administration for helping to,” Boykin said.
“No, I get paid a lot of money here. Just to be clear, ” Jennings said.
He then took a sip from his mug while making eye contact with the camera with a smug look.
Boykin replied, “Well, I know you do, and other places too, but you should be paid by the Trump administration for what you said because the reality is that the president didn’t just accept the ruling like you said he did.”
“Yes, he did,” Jennings asserted. “He acknowledged it, and he accepted it.”
“No, he got up there at a press conference today, and he attacked the U.S. Supreme Court justices. He said they should be ‘embarrassed for their families’ for making a decision that stood up to him. He said they were disloyal and unpatriotic,” Boykin said.
“He said that they were disloyal to the Constitution even!” Boykin exclaimed. “That’s more than disagreement, that’s irresponsible rhetoric.”
Last year, Status reported that the network and Jennings were in the final stages of renewing his contract, which would have included a substantial pay raise. The financial details of the contract have not been made public.
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