CNN’s Scott Jennings Blasted Over ‘IQ Test’ Comment to Black Guest on Abby Phillip Show
What To Know
- A heated debate erupted on CNN NewsNight when Scott Jennings was accused of making a racially charged “IQ test” comment toward fellow panelist Franklin Leonard.
- Panelist Josh Doss highlighted concerns about racial bias, noting that Black men often face a presumption of guilt, while Donald Trump is frequently presumed innocent despite serious allegations.
- Jennings denied any racial intent behind his comments, insisting the debate was about evidence and public scrutiny, not race, as tensions continued among the panelists.
CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip got tense on Tuesday (November 18) after MAGA political commentator Scott Jennings felt he was being accused of making a “racial” comment towards a fellow panelist.
On Tuesday’s show, Phillip was joined by Jennings, Lydia Moynihan, Tezlyn Figaro, pollster Josh Doss, and The Black List founder Franklin Leonard to discuss the ongoing drama surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein files. The debate heated up as the panel discussed whether the files could incriminate President Donald Trump.
“You think after ten years of public life, you wouldn’t know it already?” Jennings asked Leonard in regards to evidence of Trump’s potential wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.
“No, I don’t. That’s exactly the point,” Leonard fired back.
“Oh my goodness,” Jennings retorted. “This is an IQ test. Don’t fail it. Come on, man. Ten years, Donald Trump has been in public life.”
Phillip jumped in to defend Leonard, saying, “Scott, it is an IQ test. I mean, for ten years, we haven’t heard any names. So, you really think that no one’s involved?… They would be prosecuted. It would be done and dusted. The last ten years, no one has been prosecuted for this. Is that a sign that nothing has happened?”
Jennings turned the attention back to Leonard, stating, “My question directly to him is, if you think after ten years, three presidential campaigns, and Democrats unleashing holy hell on him, you wouldn’t know about [it].”
As the debate raged on, Doss returned to the “IQ” comment Jennings made towards Leonard. “Just real quick, I just want to bring it back to something that just happened. I feel like I just heard Scott calling into question this Black man’s intelligence with the IQ test,” he said. “I feel like I heard that… so I just want to say something.”
An incredulous Jennings shook his head, adding, “You want to make it racial, go ahead, but it’s ridiculous.”
As Doss tried to explain himself, Jennings interrupted, saying, “By the way, we know each other and we’re friends. I know this man. He’s a smart guy and we’re having a debate.”
“I would love to finish what I’m saying,” Doss replied.
Jennings hit back, “Don’t make it into something. We don’t even know each other.”
“This actually relates back to the topic that we’re having, Scott,” Doss continued. “You are sitting here with so much confidence without seeing all of the documents that Donald Trump is innocent.”
Doss added that as a Black man, there tends to be a “presumption of guilt,” while Trump has navigated this situation “with the presumption of innocence that is never, never afforded to us, right?”
“This is the same guy that is trailing 29 rape allegations, and we have videos of him saying things like, grab him by the, you know what. Just the very fact that he’s connected, documented, connected to the country’s most egregious pedophile… that fact alone is enough for us to ask questions about if it’s a disqualifying factor for leadership.”
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