Tipsheet

Jennings Embarks on Another Dramatic Showdown Over Dem Priorities, This Time Against Radical Congressman

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  April 16, 2025 8:45 PM

Scott Jennings has had a particularly busy week on CNN going up against liberal panelists as he points out the absurdity of Democratic priorities and talking points. There was a rather dramatic example of that on Wednesday, when Jennings was up against Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), a particularly leftist congressman.

As Townhall has been covering, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) ventured off on a failed trip to El Salvador to inquire about Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, an illegal immigrant and MS-13 gang member who has been affectionately dubbed by Democrats and the mainstream media as "Maryland man." Other Democrats, including Garcia, who was a guest on "The Arena with Kasie Hunt," are also looking to go to El Salvador. 

"First of all, I'm more than happy to hear the congressman say they're all going to El Salvador. I think for Republicans this just confirms what we have believed about the Democratic Party and why it currently has a 21 percent approval rating in Congress," Jennings said, referencing a recent Quinnipiac University poll. 

"Look where the energy in the Democratic Party is," Jennings continued, speaking further to some of those losing issue that Garcia and other members have focused on. "It's around retrieving illegal aliens from El Salvador. It's around fighting for these college campuses that have been rife with antisemitism. It's around biological males who want to play in girls sports. This is why they're losing to Donald Trump every day, because the energy the Democrats feel comes on all these issues that are fundamentally not where the American people are."

Garcia was so eager to respond and attack President Donald Trump that host Kasie Hunt could barely get the words out to ask for the congressman's response before he jumped in. 

Recommended

How Abrego Garcia's Wife Reacted When Asked About Those Domestic Abuse Allegations Says Everything Matt Vespa
Of Course, MSNBC Did This Before Trump Revealed More About That Deported Illegal Alien's MS-13 Ties Matt Vespa

"Yeah, it's actually Donald Trump that's losing support of the American people," the congressman claimed, who has been a particularly harsh critic of this administration, which in no way speaks to the 80-20 issues that congressional Democrats are on the losing side of. While there are polls showing Trump has room for improvement, there are also plenty of others showing him at about even, or that a majority approve of the president in his second term. Garcia continued to rant and rave against Trump and bring up unrelated issues, all while Jennings was listening while wearing his iconic smirk. 

"Donald Trump's not focused on lowering the costs of housing, not focused on lowering the price of goods. He's out there deporting people who have legal status to be here, revoking student visas of students who have contributed to this country," Garcia offered, speaking about pro-Hamas students who are being set up for deportation by the administration. Jennings, who had been shaking his head by this point, jumped in to remind that Abrego Garcia does not actually have legal status. 

The two then engaged in a back and forth as Garcia tried to speak about what his party supposedly has planned, with Jennings also bringing up once more how Democrats are going to El Salvador. "You're going to go to El Salvador? Maybe go to the grocery store," Jennings offered. "Like, there's an issue here where you can possibly win on, but you're going to El Salvador instead," he said with laughter in his voice. Garcia meanwhile tried to still defend pro-Hamas students who are under the threat of deportation, changing the subject entirely, and on an issue that's not exactly popular for them. He also once more spoke about Abrego Garcia, arguing that the U.S. Supreme Court has said the illegal immigrant must be returned. 

"And by the way, as Democrats, and as a Congress, and as a government, we should be able to do multiple things at the same time." Did that in any way address the 80-20 issues Jennings had brought up? Nope. Instead Garcia went to bring up still more unrelated issues, including his obsessive criticism of Elon Musk over the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). "We should be able to take on billionaires who are raiding the government, we should be able to take on Elon Musk with no business being in charge of DOGE, and yes, protecting the civil rights and human rights of people that are in this country and entrusted to us," though he had been defending non-citizens and even those here illegally.

"And so yes, Scott, we can do all of those things" Garcia continued, speaking about issues Jennings had not even brought up, as he brought up his narrative of how Trump's "numbers are going down."

Even as Kate Bedingfield, who served as the White House communications director during the Biden-Harris administration, and has since been defending them on CNN, also tried to chime in to bring up the even more unrelated issue of special elections, Jennings asked the congressman if Abrego Garcia should be allowed to come back to the United States "and be allowed to live here indefinitely," something that White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt made clear during Tuesday's briefing will not be happening.

Garcia responded with a non-answer, though, which is that Abrego Garcia, despite not being a citizen and having admitted to coming to the country illegally, "is allowed to due process." He kept to that answer as Jennings once more asked his question, which was certainly telling enough, as Hunt then moved on as the congressman's time on the program had come to a close.