Scott Jennings absolutely dominated a CNN panel discussion Saturday by reminding his fellow commentators of some inconvenient facts about how the justice system actually works and that it is wrong to claim that Trump ordered Comey's indictment.
The discussion began after CNN played a clip of President Donald Trump criticizing the corrupt Democrats who weaponized the Justice Department for years.
“It’s not a list, but I think there’ll be others,” Trump said in the clip. “I mean, they’re corrupt. These were corrupt, radical left Democrats. They’ll be others. Look, it was — that’s my opinion. They weaponized the Justice Department like nobody in history. What they’ve done is terrible. And so I would, I hope, frankly, I hope there are others, because you can’t let this happen to a country.”
CNN’s Abby Phillip immediately tried to spin Trump’s remarks. “He seems to be kneecapping his own prosecutors here,” she said.
But Jennings quickly cut through the noise. “Well, look, that’s the thing. There’s a system. And the system includes grand juries and juries of ordinary Americans who get in a room and make decisions. He can’t order people to be indicted, and he can’t order people to be convicted. He can express his opinion,” he explained.
Jennings then went straight to the facts in the case of James Comey. “In the case of Comey, grand jurors in a very liberal jurisdiction got together and decided that the evidence did warrant charges," he explained. "Comey will go to trial, and then a jury of his peers will decide whether he is guilty or not. The president can’t do anything about that. He can make commentary on it. I’m not sure if it’s wise or not wise to do that, or if it will matter at all.”
ICYMI: Obama Library Funds Are Secretly Flowing to Dark Money Networks
Jennings even flipped Comey’s own words back on the panel, pointing out the hypocrisy: “But ultimately, I’ll just say what Jim Comey said when Donald Trump was indicted. ‘It’s a good day for the rule of law because we have a system, and the system is in place and the system is working as it was designed with average, ordinary Americans making decisions about how our laws will be enforced.’”
Ahmed Baba, a left-wing writer for Substack, wasn’t satisfied with Jennings’ factual explanation. He tried to push the narrative that Trump had orchestrated Comey’s prosecution personally. “He tried to pressure Erik Siebert at the Eastern District of Virginia to pursue this prosecution. He did not. The U.S. prosecutors there said they did not see enough evidence. So he forces him out,” Baba claimed, before launching into a hilarious theory about Trump handpicking prosecutors to target his “political enemies.”
Jennings wasn’t having it. He jumped back in and dismantled Baba’s argument by pointing out what he conveniently ignored: “You said we have to be very clear about what happened, and then you left out the most critical part, where a prosecutor has to go into a grand jury, present the evidence, and make the case why charges are warranted. And the grand jury has to agree with that. In this case, they did.”
Jennings went on to stress that this key fact undermined the entire “Trump ordered it” narrative. “Now, I don’t know if he’ll be convicted or not, but you can’t leave out and deny that there’s a critical step where average, ordinary Americans get put in a room, and they ultimately have to decide, does a case go or does it not go? And then they will decide whether you’re guilty or whether you’re not guilty. That is an important part of the process that he cannot really alter or change.”
In a debate filled with spin and anti-Trump conspiracy theories, Jennings emerged as the adult in the room, calmly reminding the panel that America’s system of justice doesn’t run on cable news talking points. It runs on facts, juries, and due process.
The legacy media is desperately trying to cover up the truth. PJ Media exposes what they hide. Join PJ Media VIP today using code FIGHT for 60% off. Don’t wait, support fearless conservative journalism that puts America First.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member