Ex-GOP strategist demands CNN fire Scott Jennings if McConnell story unravels

A former Republican operative on Friday warned CNN conservative pundit Scott Jennings that he could lose his job if his claims about Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) prove false.

After video footage obtained by CNN showed an ambulance loading the Republican lawmaker inside — nearly a month after he was first hospitalized — Cheri Jacobus suggested that CNN should take action against Jennings, who claimed that he spoke to McConnell Tuesday for about 17 minutes.

"If @ScottJenningsKY is proven to have lied about having a nearly 20 minute phone conversation with McConnell, @cnn needs to fire him immediately," Jacobus wrote on X.

Jennings told CNN anchor Kasie Hunt that the senator, whom he has known since he was a teenager, was speaking to him on the phone during the apparent call. He described it as a "wide-ranging conversation" about Iran, and his "voice sounded strong."

"I wasn't really expecting him to call this morning," Jennings said. "So when I heard his voice today, and he was clearly keeping up with stuff."

Jennings said that McConnell told him that he was talking to Republican leaders. The update followed growing speculation over his health after he was hospitalized for more than three weeks following reports of cardiac arrest.

"It made me pretty happy," Jennings said.

"All the rumors about him being dead, or brain dead, or his body being hidden somewhere — I've seen all kinds of crazy things on the internet that are obviously not true because he picked up the phone and called me, and that was a good thing," Jennings added.

On Thursday, Jennings said he spoke with McConnell's team and urged them to speak up about the senator's health.

"My personal view is that they do need to actually have a little more transparency with the people of Kentucky," Jennings said. "I counseled him and his team as such."