CNN’s Abby Phillip & Scott Jennings Clash Over Trump’s Approval Rating

CNN NewsNight host Abby Phillip was quick to correct conservative commentator Scott Jennings on Tuesday’s (October 21) show after he claimed President Donald Trump‘s approval rating has increased.

The panel was discussing polling numbers ahead of next year’s mid-term election, per Mediaite, with Phillip noting that Democrats currently hold a clear advantage over Republicans. According to a recent Gallup poll, 48 per cent of Americans consider themselves Democrats, compared to 41 per cent who support the Republican Party.

“One curious thing, [CNN data analyst] Harry Enten pointed this out this morning, in the first part of this year, the generic ballot – Democrats versus Republicans – was basically tied,” Phillip said. “Now, Democrats have an advantage.”

Jennings, who regularly backs Trump on the show, responded, “Harry also did a report this week showing that Trump’s job approval has actually gone up.”

Phillip interrupted Jennings, laughing, and reminded him that the number went up, “By one point.”

“Scott, he’s deeply underwater,” she added, referring to a Reuters poll released last week that shows Trump at a -14 per cent approval rating. “It’s 56 to 42.”

Jennings didn’t argue the point; instead, he turned his attention to the ongoing government shutdown. “The President said today he’d be happy to meet with the Democrats if they stop holding the government hostage,” he stated. “And my strong belief is that they would wind up negotiating on a number of issues, and they would come to an agreement. The President doesn’t want to negotiate under duress.”

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Phillip and Jennings have clashed a number of times on the show, including a tense discussion about the United States’ conflict with Venezuela earlier this month. During the debate, Jennings called Venezuela a “narco-terrorist state” that continues to “flood drugs into the United States, and dangerous people.”

In response, Phillip noted how fentanyl is the cause of 70 per cent of drug overdose deaths in America, “and 90 per cent of it comes from Mexico, not Venezuela.” She added that it’s “politically convenient” to lay the blame of the drug problem on Venezuela, suggesting Trump really just wants to get rid of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro.

The argument became so fiery that Phillip and Jennings continued to trade barbs online afterward.

You can watch a clip of the latest debate here.

CNN NewsNight, Weeknights, 10 pm et, CNN