Republican strategist Scott Jennings was shut down Saturday after casting all blame for heated rhetoric on Democratic Party leaders in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s killing this month, an allegation that sparked a swift response on CNN’s “Table for Five.”
“People on the left have decided that speech, debate and elections, 'that's too slow for me,' and they've been radicalized somehow,” Jennings said. “They're writing messages on bullets, the messages echo exactly what they're being programmed with from the politicians on their side.”
“I really don’t think that’s fair,” said Alyssa Farah Griffin, political strategist and former White House communications official during Trump's first term
“They’re writing it on the bullets!” Jennings fired back before the two exchanged a series of heated outbursts.
With acts of political violence having increased in recent months, fierce debate has ensued as to which political leaders bear responsibility. President Donald Trump and his allies have frequently blamed Democrats for acts of political violence, including for the recent shooting in Dallas on an Immigration Customs Enforcement facility.
Republicans have also blamed Democratic Party rhetoric on Kirk’s killing, with some even extending that blame to the creators of “South Park” for lampooning Kirk in a recent episode.
Some Democratic Party leaders have fired back, however, many of whom point to data that suggests that the vast majority of political violence is perpetrated by those affiliated with the right. In fact, a recent study from the Cato Institute found that of all politically-motivated murders in the United States since 1975, “right-wingers” were responsible for 11%, whereas “left-wing terrorists” were responsible for 2%.
Nevertheless, Jennings stood firm in his belief that the heated rhetoric was coming from only one of America’s two major political parties.
“There is no evidence whatsoever that the Democrats want to cool anything off since Charlie; they don't vote that way, they don't talk that way, we have people tweeting out here we're going to deport the CEO of Sinclair, we're going to put Elon Musk in prison... it is wild out there on the left!” Jennings said.
“Honestly, it is so disingenuous!” Griffin fired back. “I have received threats from the right and from the left. The president of the United States would do well to echo Erika Kirk, who showed a message of grace and unity in a moment that called for it, you know that!”
