CNN's Scott Jennings under fire from co-panelists as he ramps up pro-Trump 'outbursts'

In a report on the growing fame of longtime Republican party consultant Scott Jennings as a regular on CNN, there was displeasure expressed by some of his co-panelists that he is crossing a line when defending Donald Trump.

Jennings, who is closely allied with former Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), seems to be a daily presence on the cable news network as the "go-to" commentator presenting a conservative perspective.

However, as the report notes, as the election grows ever closer and he has been forced to continuously defend Donald Trump's increasingly erratic actions and claims, Jennings has left behind being the "reasonable" Republican while getting in shouting matches and insulting his TV opponents.

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In a recent confrontation with Vanderbilt professor Michael Eric Dyson, and Rabbi Jay Michaelson, Jennings leaned extremely close to Tyson, who was seated next to him, stuck his finger in his face and snapped, "First of all, I don’t answer to you, and I don’t answer to you."

That led former Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) to joke, "Well, I don’t point my finger at people," to ease the tension.

As the Post's Jeremy Barr is reporting, that incident –– among others –– has raised alarms with both viewers and CNN's contributors.

Noting that the not-camera-shy Jennings declined a chance to be interviewed for the story, Barr wrote, "As Jennings has gained a higher profile on CNN, he has faced more questions about his credibility, even from his fellow panelists," adding, "During a segment in May, the anti-Trump lawyer George Conway accused Jennings of lying and asked rhetorically 'why this network is paying Scott to say those lies.'"

Former Bill Clinton White House press secretary Joe Lockhart has called out Jennings for his outbursts on social media, writing, "This is different. This is not only a threat to journalism but to democracy. Look at history. This shouldn’t be condoned and certainly shouldn’t be compensated.”

According to conservative Ben Ferguson, who lost his spot on CNN after several volatile confrontations, "When Jennings got hired, I think CNN looked at him like an establishment conservative with an establishment Republican résumé. But when you take fire from the extreme left every day and you’re put into a position where you have to fight back every day, it makes you into a more conservative individual. I think Scott is closer now to a MAGA conservative than he’s ever been.”

You can watch Jennings confrontation with Tyson below or click the link here.