CNN Panel Melts Down as Scott Jennings Defends Trump’s Trade and Tariff Strategy [WATCH]

A CNN panel discussion turned heated on Monday as Republican strategist Scott Jennings defended former President Donald Trump’s use of tariff threats to secure agreements on border security and fentanyl control with Mexico and Canada.

Jennings sparred with CNN analyst Bakari Sellers and Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell over Trump’s strategy, arguing that the former president successfully negotiated without imposing actual tariffs.

Trump signed proclamations on Saturday to impose 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada, citing concerns over border security and the fentanyl crisis.

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However, after securing agreements from both nations, the tariffs were postponed for 30 days. Jennings emphasized that no tariffs were ultimately enforced.

“No tariffs were levied. None were levied. Zero,” Jennings said during the debate.

Sellers countered, saying, “But it’s the uncertainty and the chaos.”

“It’s one day!” Jennings shot back.

Rampell criticized Trump’s approach, arguing, “Trump is trying to repackage the status quo as a victory. That’s what the leaders of these foreign countries are learning. You don’t actually have to give Trump anything.”

As part of the agreement, Mexico committed to deploying 10,000 troops to curb illegal immigration in exchange for a 30-day reprieve from the tariffs.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported that nearly 22,000 pounds of fentanyl were seized at the U.S. border during fiscal year 2024, with an additional 4,537 pounds confiscated so far in fiscal year 2025, most of it at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The fentanyl crisis remains a major concern, with drug overdoses claiming 105,007 American lives in 2023, a slight decrease from the 107,941 fatalities recorded in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized over 55 million fentanyl pills in 2023, CBS News reported.

China, a major supplier of fentanyl precursors, did not reach an agreement before a 10% tariff on Chinese imports took effect.

Rampell continued to argue against Trump’s trade strategy, stating, “You have to let him announce victory on TV. Second of all, it’s not actually back to the status quo. It is worse than the status quo. As Richard points out, we have tarnished our relationships with our allies, whose help we need to rein in China, which I know you care about.”

She also suggested that Trump’s tariff threats create economic uncertainty, discouraging investment.

“Beyond that, think about the additional uncertainty that’s being added to the business environment right now. If you are a company and you don’t know if tariffs are coming or they’re not coming, you don’t know if your input costs are going to go up or they‘re not going to go up, why would you invest? Why would you invest in oil pipelines, for example, to Canada? I know you really care about the Keystone pipeline, for example.”

At that point, Republican Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) interjected, “You mean the one that Biden killed?”

“Yeah, that one,” Jennings added.

As part of the agreement with the U.S., Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged to allocate $1.3 billion toward securing the U.S.-Canada border.

That includes $200 million dedicated to combating fentanyl, along with the appointment of a fentanyl czar to oversee efforts.

“We have — we have a deal,” Jennings stated.

Rampell dismissed the agreement, claiming, “We have a 30-day deal for nothing.”

Jennings pushed back, arguing that the agreements reflected a shift in policy rather than inaction.

“You guys — you guys write your talking points 12 hours ago. It‘s 10:00. Look what happened in the interim period,” he said.

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