CNN's Scott Jennings won't say Minneapolis shooting was 'wrong' in tense confrontation

Conservative CNN commentator Scott Jennings was recently on the ropes in his defense of how President Donald Trump's administration is responding to the fatal shooting of 37 year-old U.S. citizen Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

In a Tuesday segment, Jennings – who once spoke alongside Trump at a campaign rally — said Trump was "in a little bit of astrange situation" regarding last weekend's shooting, but celebrated his call for a thorough investigation. He also said he wasn't sure of what Trump meant when he said he was going to de-escalate in Minnesota.

""I wouldjust caution all these people,you cannot let an angry mobnullify federal law in ajurisdiction if they do that," Jennings said.

At that point, New York Times podcast host Lulu Garcia-Navarro pushed back, asking Jennings if he was characterizing "the American people" as an "angry mob." Jennings doubled down on his remarks.

"These people in Minneapolis are an angry mob,whether you like it or not," he said. "Theydon't like the fact that thepresident is enforcinglongstanding federal immigrationlaw."

"Does that mean they should beshot on the street, Scott?" CNN host Kasie Hunt prodded. "That's the question we're talking about."

"No.The debate isabout what the president's goingto do next," he countered. "And if you were tolet them win and you were to berun out of town, what do youthink would happen in L.A., Chicago, New York, all over thecountry?"

Hunt then asked Jennings if he felt the shooting was "problematic," with Jennings agreeing. Garcia-Navarro then repeatedly asked: "Is it wrong? Is it wrong? Is it wrong?"

"Is it wrong?Was what happened to Alex Pretti on the street wrong?" Hunt asked.

"Was it wrong? I'm waiting for aninvestigation, which I fullysupport." He said. "I want an investigation.I don't like that peoplehave died. I don't like thischaos. But I also don't likethe idea that we're just goingto say, well, in this one littleterritory, we're not going toenforce federal laws anymore.That doesn't strike me as agood idea for the presidentright now. So he's in a he's gota tricky situation. It's verycomplex. But being run out oftown by an angry mob to me isnot an option."

Former Democratic National Committee communications director Mo Elleithee then reminded Jennings that "there was no rush toan investigation" after Pretti shot, or after the fatal shooting of U.S. citizen Renee Good by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Jonathan Ross earlier this month. She also observed that Trump administration officials "at the highestlevel" were "blaming the victims" immediately after.

"And to Lulu's point, earlier, a lot of Americans said, 'well, if that'sgoing to be how this plays out,then what's to stop it frombeing me?' That's what people areso angry about," he said. "They are angry.Not that the president isenforcing his immigration goals,that ICE is doingit in a way that isindiscriminate, that has led toviolence ... Youtalked earlier about whether ornot local officials arecooperating. It's thisadministration that is gettingcited for contempt of court fornot honoring court orders. It'sthis administration that isicing out the local officialswhen it comes to theinvestigations of theseshootings. So I think that'swhat people are angry about.I'm angry about it. I don'tthink I'm part of a mob. I'mangry when I see my governmentnot being accountable when it isviolating virtually every,violating the constitution. Inmany of these cases, when itcomes to due process, when itcomes to search and seizureissues, that's not what evenhis biggest supporters votedfor. And that's why you'reseeing a cratering in in publicsupport."

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