A CNN conservative commentator on Monday refused to defend the disturbing remarks to emerge from Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally, calling the rhetoric “stupid” and a distraction from what the Trump campaign intended to do.
“I don’t like it, I don’t like it one bit,” GOP strategist Scott Jennings said Monday on “AC360,” adding: “I’m not going to sit here and pretend like it’s good or helpful.”
“Some of the things that were said by some of these people who I’ve never heard of before – maybe it works on a podcast maybe it works on a radio show – but when you’re trying to win an election here and you’re trying to put on a face for your party and your presidential campaign it doesn’t work at all.”
The former assistant to President George W. Bush continued his assessments of the messaging from the much-criticized New York City rally by telling host Anderson Cooper: “It’s stupid, it’s a distraction, I’m sure, from what the Trump campaign wanted to do.”
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Jennings said that was evident by Trump’s TV ads released Sunday by the campaign that focused on the economy and immigration — "not all this stupid stuff."
But while Jennings worked to distance himself from the fallout of the rally, he also said Monday that people offended by the New York City rally should be equally offended by supporters of Kamala Harris in the entertainment industry who have said “vile, offensive things.”
"If you were offended by this – people from the entertainment industry saying vile and offensive things in the context of politics – Kamala Harris certainly has entertainment industry supporters that have said vile and offensive things – not all of them were at her rallies."
“So, if we’re going to professionally faint tonight I would say let's maybe do it on both sides."
Watch the clip below or at this link.