Republican strategist Scott Jennings sent CNN host Abby Phillip and two Democratic guests into a tizzy Monday while discussing the charges against Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver of New Jersey.
McIver was charged with assaulting and impeding federal agents for her involvement in a May 9 fracas outside the ICE facility in Newark, New Jersey, during which Democratic Mayor Ras Baraka of Newark was arrested, that also involved Democratic Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman and Rob Menendez Jr. of New Jersey. Jennings stepped in after Baraka claimed McIver would be “vindicated.”
“I mean, the videos are pretty clear, are they not? I mean, she’s shoving elbows, some punches. I mean, this is — this is —” Jennings said before Baraka interrupted by saying, “There’s a lot of pushing and shoving.”
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After a brief back-and-forth, Jennings posed a question to Baraka.
“Would a regular person. If they came and did that to a federal officer, get away with it?” Jennings asked, with Baraka responding, “A regular person?”
“Like a regular, just a non-politician,” Jennings said, prompting Phillip to reference the pardon President Donald Trump issued to those convicted of charges in connection to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the United States Capitol.
Phillip then played video of CNN host Victor Blackwell clashing with Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin about the arrest, after which Democratic strategist Julie Roginsky claimed that interim United States Attorney Alina Habba of the District of New Jersey and Attorney General Pam Bondi filed the charges against McIver for Trump’s benefit.
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“But what does that have to do with a clear video of someone assaulting a police officer?” Jennings asked Roginsky, who responded, “That video was clear to you, Scott? Was it?”
“Yeah. It’s pretty clear,” Jennings responded, prompting Roginsky to claim, “There’s nothing clear about it.”
Trump issued several executive orders to address illegal immigration and border security, including designating Mexican drug cartels, the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) and the El Salvadoran prison gang MS-13 as foreign terrorist organizations upon taking office Jan. 20 and invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to speed up the deportation of gang members on March 15. Democrats have opposed the deportation efforts, claiming they violate the right to due process.
“It’s not a cheap fake, I can assure you of that,” Jennings said, causing Roginsky to respond, “Let me tell you something. If you took off your MAGA goggle glasses and you looked at it —”
“It’s a real video,” Jennings shot back.
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First published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
