CNN's Scott Jennings was left momentarily speechless after host Sara Sidner challenged him to justify Donald Trump's attacks on a judge.
U.S. District judge Tanya Chutkan declined to temporarily block Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency from accessing sensitive government data across federal agencies, finding that Democratic state attorneys general had failed to show they would "suffer imminent, irreparable harm absent a temporary restraining order."
"This is the same judge that presided over the Jan. 6 election subversion case against Donald Trump, when Trump famously described her as 'the most evil person,'" Sidner said. "Scott, [is] that still the case for Donald Trump after this decision?"
Jennings praised the judge's ruling and questioned the legal challenge to DOGE's authority, which even the White House concedes is somewhat nebulous.
ALSO READ: 'Disgusting and depraved': White House flooded with backlash over new 'disturbing' video
"It's amazing to me that Donald Trump has to go to court to fight off attempts to keep the duly elected president and his appointees from having access to the federal government," Jennings said. "I mean, this is, after all, the people that we elected to run the country, and they have to go into court and fight to run the country. I mean, it sounds crazy. So I think it was the only decision she could make because it's patently ridiculous when democrat attorneys general go to partisan judges, or any judges for that matter, and try to stop the duly elected government from operating, that's No. 1."
"No. 2, this effort is nothing more than an attempt to control the federal bureaucracy and restore some political oversight to the federal government, that is all they are trying to do," Jennings added. "So ultimately, I think people are happy with it, and I think they're finding some things that need to be uncovered, and the more that they're transparent about that, and the more they put that information out to the American people, the more popular it's going to become."
Sidner wasn't satisfied with his answer to her original question.
"But do you still think he thinks she's 'the most evil person?'" Sidner said.
Jennings paused for two seconds and then stammered out a reply.
"I don't know," he said. "I mean, how can you make it – I mean, I don't know what, I don't know what kind of person she is. I never met her, and I try not to cast aspersions on people I don't know. But I know this: How can you make any other decision than the one that she made? He's the president, these are his appointees going into the federal agencies that they were elected to run. So what does it matter what he said as a matter of a political statement before? As long as the result here is they get to run the federal government, just like the people asked for."
Watch the video below or at this link.