Scott Jennings speaking in the spin room following the CNN Republican Presidential Debate at the Olmsted Center at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Gage Skidmore, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Despite long being one of President Donald Trump’s fiercest critics, GOP strategist Scott Jennings has gone on to become one of the president’s strongest defenders in his frequent appearances on CNN, but on Monday, former CNN reporter Jim Acosta lambasted Jennings as nothing more than an opportunistic “sellout.”
“There are a lot of divas and sellouts in TV news. He appears to fit both of those categories,” Acosta told Zeteo in the outlet’s analysis published on Monday.
In his appearances on CNN discussion panels, Jennings has had multiple outbursts, some of which have sparked calls for him to be prohibited from appearing on the network again. A recent incident saw Jennings lean in close to another guest and blurt out “get your f------ hand out of my face,” an incident similar to a flare-up of Jennings’ that occurred nearly two years ago when he “angrily” pointed his own finger in another guest’s face.
Jennings' tendency to get heated, Acosta argued, went beyond what should be permitted on the network.
“He violated what used to be a pretty clear line in TV news,” Acosta said. “You’re not supposed to cuss people out like it’s an episode of ‘The Jerry Springer Show.’”
As to why Jennings has continued to appear on the network despite his frequent outbursts, Acosta suggested that, for unknown reasons, CNN appears to have given Jennings an extra degree of latitude not extended to others.
“It appears to me he’s been given a lot of latitude to behave the way he does and lie the way he lies,” Acosta said. “But under no circumstances should a paid pundit ever shout the f-word at another panelist in that fashion.”