Scott Jennings didn’t waste any time setting the record straight during a heated CNN panel discussion about President Trump’s recent military strike against Iran. As the conversation turned to whether Trump deserved credit for the operation, Jennings made it clear that, in his view, the president’s actions warranted praise — regardless of what previous administrations may have set in motion.
The segment began with host Abby Phillip wondering aloud if it was too soon for Trump to take a victory lap. Jamil Jaffer, a former Bush White House counsel, was quick to jump in, but the real fireworks started when Jennings, CNN’s senior political commentator, weighed in. “Well, functionally, we did it, you know, with these strikes. I mean, what he did was a courageous move and working in concert with our special partner, Israel. You know, we let them pummel them, take out their air defenses, and then we swoop in the way only we can with these B-2 bombers and these special massive ordinance penetrators, and we deal with the situation. So, it was great tactically,” Jennings said of the operation.
ICYMI: Trump Drops F-Bomb on Iran AND Israel for Ignoring Ceasefire
He went on to argue that the only real way to stop Iran from seeking nuclear weapons would be for the Iranian people themselves to demand change. “Ultimately, the only way to get Iran to stop seeking a nuclear weapon, I suppose, would be if the people of Iran rose up and tossed these butchers out and got themselves a new government. I’m not suggesting that we should be involved in that. But you would hope someday that the people of Iran would decide to have, you know, something more like a normal government where, you know, you’re not constantly trying to get nuclear weapons to bring about the end of the world, which is effectively what they’re constantly trying to do,” he said. He finished his salvo with, “But today is a great day for America. It’s a great day for Western civilization.”
That’s when Johanna Maska, a former Obama White House official, jumped in to challenge the narrative. She argued that Trump was taking too much credit for a plan that had been years in the making, spanning multiple administrations. “Scott, my problem is, the Trump administration is taking a victory lap as if they’re the only ones who planned this. And I understand he took the action, but this action was planned by the military for multiple administrations. You just said yourself, Israel has been pummeling Iran because the Biden administration was providing weaponry for them to do so,” Maska asserted.
Think about this for a second. Trump takes action against Iran that no president was willing to take before, and yet she wants Joe Biden and Barack Obama to share the credit? Surely, she can’t be serious.
She was.
Former Obama aide suggests Trump needs to share credit for developments in the Middle East with past presidents.@ScottJenningsKY: "Occasionally, the correct answer is, ‘Good job, President Trump. Well done.’" pic.twitter.com/NwXzn5xzMi
— Rusty (@Rusty_Weiss) June 24, 2025
Naturally, Jennings looked on, visibly stunned at Maska’s interpretation, and I can’t blame him. These were two men who sent Iran billions of dollars, not bunker busters. They helped fund Iran’s nuclear ambitions; Trump blew up those ambitions. It was like when Obama said back in 2012 that successful business owners don’t deserve the credit for their own success.
“If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life,” Obama said. “Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.”
It makes sense that Maska used to work for him, doesn’t it?
Fed up with the left rewriting history? So are we. PJ Media VIP members get the real story, ad-free and uncensored. Use code FIGHT for 60% off and join our mission to hold the powerful accountable. Support truth—join the fight today!
Join the conversation as a VIP Member