NewsNation host, Chris Cuomo, sharply criticized Scott Jennings, a CNN commentator, after viewing a video discussion aired on CNN NewsNight. Cuomo referred to Jennings as a fervent supporter of former President Trump following a disputatious segment.
This confrontation was rooted in a heated discussion between Jennings and Cameron Kasky, a survivor of the Parkland school shooting, about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Minnesota. Kasky objected to Jennings’ use of the term “illegals” to describe the individuals targeted in the operations, particularly as American citizens were also among those targeted by ICE during these raids.
The tension heightened when Jennings queried Kasky on how he would enforce his stance on language use. “Your job is predicated on getting increasingly demented,” Kasky responded during the segment.
In a video response posted on his X account on January 21, Cuomo questioned if Jennings was intimidating Kasky. Cuomo noted that the term “undocumented” has been adopted by individuals on both sides of the immigration debate, stating that the term “illegals” seemed dehumanizing.
In his video message to Jennings, Cuomo noted the commentator’s demeanor towards Kasky and mentioned that Jennings had years ago described Trump in a negative light. Jennings, who is currently a favored conservative on CNN and hosts a conservative radio show, labeled Trump as an “authoritarian” in March 2016. Jennings is also linked with the Louisville Courier-Journal.
Using the phrase “FAFO” in his critique, Cuomo reminded Jennings to maintain decency. He portrayed Jennings as a polished individual with smooth talk.
The backdrop to this disagreement involves ICE raids in Minnesota, which sparked widespread protests. The operations involve 3,000 federal agents deployed on the streets. The shooting and killing of two American citizens by agents has further fueled public outrage over the enforcement actions.
Kasky, a 25-year-old from the Upper West Side of New York City, was a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, during the February 14, 2018 shooting that resulted in the death of 17 people and left 17 others wounded. Following the Parkland shooting, he co-founded the activist group March for Our Lives.
