Tipsheet

Scott Jennings Comes Armed With Hard Truths on Antisemitism From the Left

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  September 20, 2024 4:30 PM

During a panel discussion from Friday on "CNN This Morning," Scott Jennings came armed with some hard truths about antisemitism, support for Israel, and the Democratic Party. 

The panel was discussing comments from former and potentially future President Donald Trump on Thursday night about whether or not the Jewish vote was giving him enough support. The segment also noted that Trump pointed out "the Democrats are bad for Israel."

As host Kasie Hunt argued Trump's comments "taps on tropes about, you know, loyalty and other things," Jennings offered that Trump is "competing for the Jewish vote in a way that Republicans don't normally expect to compete," adding "Jewish Americans normally overwhelmingly vote Democratic and have for a very long time, and [Trump's] directly competing to get a better percentage." 

Jennings continued to note that Trump is "making an overt appeal" for Jews to support Republicans as opposed to Democrats, including when fellow panelists continued to go after Trump. "I think he's right to try to compete for these voters, to appeal," he made clear.

As Hunt and the other panelists continued to push back and put the focus on Trump, even bringing up the thoroughly debunked comments that Democrats claim he made about the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville from 2017, Jennings brought up a key reminder about where it is that antisemitism and this hostility towards Israel comes from. 

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"If you would like to discuss the--the relative gatherings of antisemitism in this country going on over the last few months, and you want to talk about who's getting together where and what their political proclivities are, let's--let's talk about what's going on on all these college campuses. Let's talk about what's going on in the streets in New York City," Jennings insisted. 

Jennings also reminded them that Trump "is talking about the policy, that he did have strong pro-Israel policies, he did take a hard line against Iran."

As Jennings tried to make a particularly key point about how "right now, the U.S. government is constantly Lucy with the football" in "trying to deal with Hamas" and treating Israel as an ally, the other panelists tried to detract from a narrative that was no doubt uncomfortable for them by changing the subject. 

"The antisemitism problem in this country is on the left. It is not on the right," Jennings still managed to get in there, though it was a hard truth his fellow panelists were not willing to accept. 

Jennings also reminded them that "these are not Republicans" when it comes to people ripping down posters, as he pointed out another uncomfortable talking point for his fellow panelists, when it comes to if they "want to pooh- pooh what we have seen on the streets of America in the wake of October the seventh, the amount of anti--ugly antisemitic--people ripping down the posters."

Later still in the segment, Jennings also insisted that "you cannot deny what we have seen in America since October the 7th," pointing out that "it has only to do with one thing: antisemitism is on the rise, and there are people who feel like now is the time to let it out, and it is ugly."

As fellow panelists tried to distract throughout the discussion by bringing up Trump during the crosstalk, Jennings offered if "you want to make apologies for it on the left, go ahead," making clear "I'm not going to do it, I'm not going to do it."

Jennings had a fitting response for Sarah Longwell, too, the executive director of Republican Voters Against Trump when she tried to bring up arguments against Trump and other Republican figures. As he reminded her, her points amounted to a "tactical argument," and he also brilliantly called her out for "your people," when it comes to "the thousands upon thousands upon thousands of progressive activists in the streets."

It's worth reminding that even Senate Majority Chuck Schumer (D-NY) during a floor speech late last November acknowledged that there is a problem with antisemitism from the left. 

During his Thursday night remarks on antisemitism for the Israeli American Council (IAC), Trump made other remarks about the Jewish people and Israel that CNN didn't want to seem to talk about. 

Not only did Trump pitch himself as a candidate to appeal to the Jewish people and supporters of Israel, but he also drew a strong contrast between himself and the Biden-Harris administration as well as the Harris-Walz ticket when it comes to supporting Israel. 

This included bringing points that Jennings addressed, such as what to do about antisemitic, pro-Hamas agitators, including and especially on college campuses. Campuses that don't "end the antisemitic propaganda" will "lose their accreditation and all federal support," Trump promised. Foreign-born Hamas sympathizers will also be deported. 

Earlier in the week, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) raised this very issue about college campuses during a Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on the generic topic of "hate crimes." As he called out antisemitism on campuses, as well as Democrats in disarray over the issue of supporting Israel, antisemitic agitators interrupted the hearing to repeat propaganda and spew vile insults about Jews. 

Also earlier this week, Jennings spoke about why Israel would not speak to the United States about the attacks on Hezbollah terrorists. They were brief but nevertheless telling remarks he gave at the end of "CNN NewsNight With Abby Phillip," which also speak to the relationship between the United States and Israel during the Biden-Harris administration.