“CNN Pundit Under Fire for ‘Cringeworthy’ Take on Trump vs. Harris Rhetoric!”

Conservative commentator Scott Jennings faced sharp criticism for his arguments during a heated CNN panel discussion about the role of political rhetoric in the assassination attempts on Donald Trump.

Jennings, a CNN contributor, has been arguing that intense rhetoric from Democrats, not those on both sides of the political divide, is to blame for the attempts on Trump’s life. He has slammed Democrats for portraying the former president as a threat to democracy. (Trump tried to overturn the 2020 election and has laid the groundwork to also claim this year’s vote is rigged if he loses.)

On Monday, Jennings argued that messaging underpins Vice President Kamala Harris’ entire campaign.

“I mean, she repeats it herself. ‘Trump will be a dictator on Day 1,’” said Jennings, a former adviser to President George W. Bush. “I mean, this country fights dictators!”

“Didn’t he say that though?” interrupted a fellow panelist, historian Tim Naftali.

“Those were his words!” noted Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen.

Jennings went on to suggest that Harris had said things like “he’ll be a dictator” and “there’ll be a bloodbath.”

Trump said in December that he planned to act like a dictator on “Day 1” of a potential second administration. Harris has told people about that claim during public appearances.

The Republican nominee also claimed in March, while discussing the auto industry, that “there’s going to be a bloodbath” if he’s not elected. His campaign later specified that he meant an “economic bloodbath.”

Harris said during last week’s debate that Trump promised “there will be a bloodbath” if he lost.

CNN host Abby Phillip fact-checked Jennings on air. She noted that Harris had “improperly and unfairly mischaracterized [Trump as] saying there would be a bloodbath if he were [not] elected.”

“However, she did not say that if Trump were elected, there would be a bloodbath,” she clarified.

After a suspected gunman was apprehended on Trump’s golf course in Florida on Sunday, the Republican blamed Harris and President Joe Biden, claiming “their rhetoric is causing me to be shot at.”

Jennings’ comment earned furious backlash on social media, where a clip of the exchange was viewed more than 1 million times.

Many respondents noted that Trump had in fact said that he wanted to be a dictator on Day 1. Others pointed to his constant stream of incendiary and dishonest rhetoric, and other examples of his authoritarian aspirations, and sarcastically wondered if it’s divisive of Harris to warn Americans about it.

“In essence, we shouldn’t repeat what Trump says and call Trump out on it because it’s so incendiary to do so. Got it,” said George Conway, a conservative attorney and outspoken Trump critic.

See some of the other critiques below.

Trump to Sean Hannity last December: “He says, ‘You’re not going to be a dictator, are you?’ I said: ‘No, no, no, other than day one.'” https://t.co/J1Ifp0LUFl— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) September 17, 2024

Just as recently as two weeks ago, Trump was making jokes about Paul Pelosi nearly being killed in his own home, so I don’t think Maga has the moral high ground on rhetoric leading to political violence. You can’t play the villain and the victim at the same time. https://t.co/RuSnzceR0t— Jamarrius 📚 (@YungxJayy) September 17, 2024

Scott Jennings
“Kamala Harris keeps repeating the things Donald Trump has said numerous times in public, while being interviewed or on stage, and it’s making people want to kill him. He repeating of his words is endangering Trump” https://t.co/4rz1vriwS3— Ethan Embry (@EmbryEthan) September 17, 2024

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The GOP’s new talking point is that you can’t tell people what they say or what they do because it upsets people too much.

This is the embarrassing Scott Jennings attacking Harris for the grave crime of accurately quoting Donald Trump.— Some Queer (@HLSIII) September 17, 2024

Let’s remember that CNN pays Scott Jennings to make stupid right-wing arguments. In this case, Jennings claims it’s wrong for Kamala Harris to say Trump will be a “Day 1” dictator even though Trump himself said he’d be a “Day 1” dictator. https://t.co/NEyf0xnhrC— Mark Jacob (@MarkJacob16) September 17, 2024

Support Free Journalism

Consider supporting HuffPost starting at $2 to help us provide free, quality journalism that puts people first.

Can’t afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and logging in while you read.

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?

Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.

The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. We hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.