'I saw a body!' Conservative gets heated defending Trump's deployment to 'crime-ridden' DC

A conservative commentator got heated on Wednesday while defending claims that Washington, D.C., is an unsafe city to live in.

Scott Jennings, an advisor to Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), appeared on CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper" to discuss President Donald Trump's recent move to deploy federal troops into D.C. The president has claimed that the nation's capital is "infested" with crime, even though federal data shows crime is at a 30-year low.

Jennings argued that D.C. is "crime-ridden," and told a story about how he witnessed a killing at Union Station on a February afternoon.

"I saw the body hit the floor!" Jennings shouted.

Other experts wondered whether the push to send federal troops into D.C. served another purpose. CNN political analyst John Avalon argued it was an authoritarian move by the Trump administration to make the American public used to seeing the military in the streets.

Jennings described Avalon's comments as "ridiculous rhetoric."

"I don't know what's authoritarian about putting some extra eyes and ears on the street; getting criminals off the street, and to keep people from getting murdered and carjacked," Jennings said.

CNN anchor Jake Tapper asked Jennings whether sending federal troops would reduce crime going forward or create more of it.

"Even if one supports this effort, it's a band-aid, right?" Tapper asked. "It's not like hiring 500 additional cops in D.C."

"They do need help," Jennings said.

Watch the clip below or by clicking here.