Scott Jennings Torches CNN’s Hegseth Report: ‘A Smear Job’ [WATCH]

In the latest twist of political theatrics, CNN commentator Scott Jennings slammed the timing and nature of a report aimed at Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth.

The report, released late Thursday, claimed Hegseth had paid $50,000 as part of a confidentiality agreement with a woman who accused him of sexual assault, as reported by The Independent Journal Review.

Jennings didn’t mince words, likening the report to a “smear job” during his appearance on The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.

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“I don’t think the new information is going to change the calculation of people who’ve already made up their minds or are pretty far down the road, truthfully,” Jennings said.

“It feels like he is on the way to being confirmed.” Jennings added that despite the allegations, Hegseth’s confirmation vote, scheduled for Friday, is unlikely to falter.

Jennings didn’t stop there, drawing a direct comparison between the tactics used against Hegseth and those employed during Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation battle in 2018.

“Frankly, to a lot of Republicans, given the way the Democrats have conducted themselves and this last-minute information, it feels a little like a smear job,” Jennings stated.

“And they’re getting sort of Kavanaugh vibes off of it, and I think that’s emboldening Republicans to stick with Hegseth, if anything.”

For conservatives, this all-too-familiar playbook isn’t a coincidence—it’s strategy. The Democratic approach to last-minute allegations, anonymous sources, and unverified claims seems to follow a predictable formula: sow doubt and hope the mud sticks.

But Republicans appear more unified than ever in recognizing these tactics, with Jennings predicting Hegseth will emerge from the fire unscathed.

Hegseth himself has pushed back hard against the allegations. Speaking to SiriusXM’s Megyn Kelly in December, he dismissed the accusations of sexual assault and alcohol abuse as baseless.

“I had a member, not 45 minutes ago, look me in the eye in private, just he and I, and say, ‘That’s what they’re trying to do to you,’” Hegseth shared with Kelly.

 “‘That’s their playbook. Get ready for more, and they’re gonna make it up, just like they have so far. All anonymous, all innuendo, all rumor, nothing sourced, no verification and they’re just gonna keep doing it, because you’re a threat to them. You’re a threat to their system.’”

Hegseth didn’t shy away from pointing out the striking similarities to Kavanaugh’s confirmation ordeal, a comparison Kelly readily agreed with during their discussion.