‘Sear This into Your Brain’ [WATCH]

CNN political commentator Scott Jennings, serving as the network’s primary conservative voice, delivered a pointed defense of President Donald Trump’s policy agenda during Thursday’s episode of CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip.

The conversation covered tax policy, immigration enforcement, and judicial limits, leading to sharp exchanges between Jennings and his liberal co-panelists.

Jennings began the segment by addressing the 2026 midterm elections and urging voters to focus on tax policy, warning viewers to “sear… into your brain” the contrast between the two parties’ positions.

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“President Trump wants to cut them. The Democrats want to raise them, and the Republicans need to get behind the commander in chief and do it,” Jennings said.

He noted that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is actively engaged in negotiations involving trade deals with approximately 17 to 20 countries, including China.

As Congress considers fiscal legislation, Jennings emphasized that taxes remain one of the sharpest distinctions between Republicans and Democrats, second only to immigration.

The panel then turned to the Democratic stance on taxation. CNN contributor Xochitl Hinojosa pushed back, stating, “Democrats do not want to raise taxes.”

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Host Abby Phillip clarified that Democrats support raising taxes on “rich people,” a point echoed by fellow panelist Batya Ungar-Sargon.

Hinojosa attempted to link the conversation to prominent individuals like Elon Musk and Donald Trump, implying those were Jennings’ “friends.”

Jennings pushed Hinojosa to define “rich,” to which she repeatedly responded, “your friends,” without offering a concrete answer.

Jennings highlighted this refusal to define income thresholds as a broader issue with the Democratic position.

“Because when you come right down to it, what Democrats believe is that anyone who pays taxes is rich enough to have an increase,” he said.

Sear this into your brain ahead of the Midterms:

President Trump wants to cut your taxes. Democrats want to raise them.

The GOP needs to get behind the commander-in-chief and get it done.pic.twitter.com/HChopBHXNo

— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) May 3, 2025

He added that failure to pass the Trump administration’s tax bill would allow current tax cuts to expire, resulting in higher taxes for working Americans.

The conversation also focused heavily on illegal immigration and the president’s authority to address national security threats.

During a discussion of Vice President JD Vance’s remarks about utilizing the Alien Enemies Act to deport criminal illegal aliens, Jennings defended the administration’s position, stating the use of such measures is necessary in light of what he described as an ongoing invasion.

“We’ve never been invaded this way,” Jennings said.

“These illegal aliens… they are predatory. It is an incursion.”

When challenged by Phillip on who is doing the invading, Jennings pointed to the criminal acts committed by some illegal immigrants and the toll it has taken on American families.

“I would ask you to ask any of the families who’ve lost loved ones if they think maybe that we are at war with the people who have come here, who have committed violent acts,” he said.

He further criticized federal judges for blocking enforcement tools at the president’s disposal, arguing that “individual district court judges are overstepping.”

Phillip interjected, suggesting that Congress determines whether the nation is at war.

Jennings rejected that notion, saying, “You want to call Congress and see if we’re being invaded? We’ll be taken over before they ever get to the committee.”

We have suffered the biggest invasion in the history of the United States.

It’s an attack on democracy and a constitutional crisis.

It is the DUTY of the President to decide how to repel such an incursion on our sovereignty, not a random district court judge. pic.twitter.com/MJoNlcOOmZ

— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) May 2, 2025

Later in the segment, the panel debated the topic of due process in deportation cases.

Jennings posed a hypothetical scenario, asking what would happen if a non-state group physically invaded the country.

“Would you run to court and ask a federal judge if the president of the United States, can we defend the nation now?” he asked.

“Can we stop it?”

In closing, Jennings reiterated that while not all illegal immigrants are violent, “they’re all criminals,” reinforcing his view that immigration laws must be strictly enforced.

I want you to imagine that an invading force came to our shores and prepared to enter our cities. Among them are many violent criminals.

Would we really first go to a judge and ask if the President of the United States is allowed to defend our borders?

The answer is NO. pic.twitter.com/MZsze5wGwZ

— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) May 2, 2025

His comments served as a clear reminder of the Trump administration’s priorities ahead of the 2026 midterms, particularly in the areas of tax relief and border security.

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