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Scott Jennings is everything that’s wrong with our politics today. In fact, I think I’ll start a recurring segment called “Everything That’s Wrong With Our Politics Today,” and give different examples of people who are the epitome of what’s wrong with our politics today. I’m starting with Scott Jennings because I just saw him say something that I know he doesn’t believe in. And it got me thinking. That’s what he’s become.
He’s become somebody who’s on TV every day saying things he doesn’t believe. Why? Because it’s a profitable business to be in. Money, ratings, attention. Man, it pays right now in politics to say what you don’t believe—to bullshit, to lie, to exaggerate, to toss out fake outrage, to say, “My team’s right no matter what. Trump’s right no matter what,” even when you don’t believe it. That’s what Scott Jennings has become. And that’s so bad for our politics.
We have politicians who say things they don’t believe to stay in office, to get votes. We have commentators and thought leaders who say things they don’t believe to stay on TV, or to keep their radio show or podcast. Scott Jennings now has a syndicated radio show. He’s become a MAGA darling. Why? Because he’s very good at saying what he doesn’t believe. It pays to do that. That’s the train track I could have jumped on seven years ago, but I chose not to.
The damnedest thing about Scott Jennings is, this isn’t who he is. He’s a MAGA darling now, when he should be the furthest thing from MAGA. He’s a Bush guy. He was a Mitch McConnell guy.
Back in the day when I was Mr. Crazy Tea Party Guy, grabbing my musket every day and fighting for the things I believed in, it was establishment RINO fucks like Scott Jennings who despised us crazy right-wingers, who despised the Tea Party. Scott Jennings was the epitome of the Republican establishment then—the very epitome of the Republican Party establishment. He was anti-Tea Party, anti-Freedom Caucus, you name it. And in the beginning, when Trump first came on the scene, he was cool toward Trump. He didn’t like MAGA. He didn’t get it. He wasn’t part of it.
But then Scott Jennings got a job as a regular contributor on CNN. CNN back then needed reasonable Republican voices. Scott Jennings back then was just that. He was an establishment Republican CNN guy, who wasn’t a hardcore MAGA guy. In fact, I think that’s probably why CNN hired him, because he wasn’t a crazy, loony MAGA guy like I was back in the day, and Jennings would provide balanced commentary from an establishment Republican’s perspective.
He wasn’t a fan of Trump’s. He’d give certain Trump policies their props, but he’d criticize Trump when he did wrong. And as far as TV talking heads go, Jennings was fairly good and fairly interesting. Because he was balanced, and you could tell he was generally trying to say what he believed.
And then something changed. He changed. Remember: Scott Jennings assumed after January 6, like so many others, that Trump was done. He was ready for him to leave and for the Republican Party to move beyond Trump. Jennings took that wise, smart, sensible position, believing it was probably the end of Trump.
But then Trump came back. Trump ran again, got the nomination, and reestablished himself as the leader of the Republican Party. It was now a cemented thing. And I think Scott Jennings saw that and said, “Damn it, I thought we were done with MAGA. We’re not done with MAGA. MAGA now is the Republican Party. Trump is the leader of the Republican Party. So doggone it, I’ve got to jump on that MAGA train because I want to be a big deal, I want more appearances on TV, and I want to write a book. I want to be a bigger deal.” So Jennings became a MAGA voice.
In fact, during the 2024 campaign, as I was out there campaigning my ass off every day for Kamala Harris, Scott Jennings was on the CNN set every day as Trump’s fiercest MAGA defender. Such great irony. Me, Joe Walsh, former Tea Party guy, former MAGA guy out there campaigning for a Democrat. And Mr. RINO, Mr. Bush Guy, Mr. Mitch McConnell Guy is now Mr. Trump Guy in 2024. How crazy? He’s the Trump lover. He’s the MAGA whisperer.
And since the election when Trump won, Jennings has gotten even worse. Now you listen to him and you look at him, and he’s everything that’s wrong with our politics. He’s now a leading MAGA voice, and he’s gotten to that position because he says shit he doesn’t believe. And he says it with a smirk. He says it with a smile. And he says it effectively. Shit he doesn’t believe. MAGA shit, Trump shit that he doesn’t believe.
He was on yesterday, talking about Trump’s Cabinet meeting. Now, to his credit, Jennings was a strong critic of the fact that, rightly, we did not know Joe Biden’s condition in real time. Well, here now we have Trump falling asleep every day, multiple times a day in meetings in the middle of day, and what does Scott Jennings say?
Nothing wrong with Trump! The most active, virile president we’ve ever had! Nobody can keep up with that guy!
All a bunch of bullshit. Because now Jennings gets paid really well to utter partisan bullshit. But the old Scott Jennings? The old Scott Jennings, who generally said what he believed, would have said, “Yeah, it was wrong. Biden was too old, Biden was falling asleep, and that was wrong. Trump looks to be too old, and Trump’s falling asleep. We need to know what Trump’s physical condition is.” That’s what the old Scott Jennings would have said before Scott Jennings got paid the big bucks to say shit he doesn’t believe.
So that’s where we are. Mr. Republican Squish, Mr. RINO, Mr. Mitch McConnell flack is now the poster child for MAGA and Trump on CNN. How did that happen? Well, again, the how-that-happened shows us everything that’s wrong with our politics. It pays now to be a talking head who very effectively says shit you don’t believe. You get paid really well. You become a big deal. You get books that you then get to write and promote. It’s all performative.
When you listen to Jennings now on Abby Phillips’ show—and I like Abby Phillips, and have been on the show a few times—it’s all performative. There’s no five people sitting at a table, there’s no effort at any sort of understanding. For Jennings, it’s all about creating that viral hit. Creating that viral moment.
Scott Jennings will say something, and then he’ll look at his camera. He spends most of his time just looking at and smirking into his camera after he’s made some great, piercing MAGA talking point. A progressive was on Abby Phillips’ show with Jennings a couple weeks ago, and Jennings said, “I dismantled that guy.” Really? That’s the point of our political discourse now? To dismantle people? Yeah. And that’s everything wrong with our politics.
So I am starting with Scott Jennings today on CNN. I can’t stand what he’s become because I can’t stand what our politics has become. I used to do some of that myself back in the day, but then I wised up, and I realized it was wrong. And I realized it did nothing but further divide us. Scott Jennings says shit constantly he doesn’t believe. And he gets paid really, really well to do it. And that’s why he does it.
And that’s why Scott Jennings is this week’s Everything That’s Wrong With Our Politics.
Donald Trump is threatening every American who opposes his fascist agenda. I will NEVER STOP loudly and righteously opposing Trump—and anyone else who violates our American social contract. This is my personal mission.
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APPEARANCES FROM THE PAST WEEK:
INTERVIEWS & QUOTES FROM THE PAST WEEK:
Trump, Hegseth Put on Blast After Attacking American Hero: ‘Small, Petty, Insecure Loser’ —SILive.com
‘Damn Him’: Ex-Tea Party Lawmaker Goes Nuclear on Trump After Troops Shot —Raw Story
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