CNN’s Scott Jennings had the unenviable task of going against three of his colleagues on Wednesday’s edition of New Day on just how real President Biden and the Democratic Party’s commitment to law and order really is and which party is better on the issue. Despite the imbalance, Jennings was able to show that Democratic sentiment on the issue seems to be based on the ideology.
S.E. Cupp was the first to argue on behalf of the Democrats, “For Joe Biden to take this back -- the language of patriotism, law and order, the Constitution -- things that I think Democrats ceded to Republicans for so many years is important because it's right, but also because those are important things. Those are the reasons I became a Republican -- the Constitution, law and order, loving this country. And it's hard for Republicans to say they believe in all of that despite all the evidence. I think he's doing a really important thing.”
After some cross-table talk between Jennings, host and referee John Berman, and senior political analyst John Avlon, Jennings responded, “But here's what I took away from Joe Biden's speech. Number one, he has no choice but to try to take this language back because he runs a political party that has come squarely down on the side of blame the police first. You've had Democrat mayors and prosecutors all over this country who have made horrific choices when it comes to their rhetoric and their policies on criminal justice in dealing with the cops. So he has no choice. This isn't some –”
Cupp interrupted to argue that Biden could’ve theoretically doubled down, but because he was talking about the Democratic Party in general, Jennings continued, “Number two, I'm heartened to hear him finally come out and take a strong stance against people who might threaten political violence because the government is going to do something that they don't like. I wish -- I only wish his passion wasn't so newfound because he had very little to say when people were out promising riots and violence if the Supreme Court does this, that, or the other. So I'm glad he's finally come around to this.”
Avlon was not happy “But Scott, that’s not true.” At the same time, political analyst Natasha Alford also chimed in “Did they try to overturn…an election.”
Addressing Avlon, Jennings declared “It is true,” and when Avlon again said “No, it isn’t” Jennings correctly pointed out, “He was real slow, John.”
Still, Avlon wasn’t buying it, “No. I'm sorry. He consistently, both in the wake of Roe and in the summer of 2016, said there's no place for violence in peaceful protests.”
Trying to prove his point, Avlon cited Sen. Lindsey Graham’s recent predictions of riots if the DOJ prosecutes former President Trump, which Jennings conceded was a mistake. He also conceded January 6 “was a riot and it was Republicans,” but portrayed himself as the honest and consistent one “I fundamentally disagree with you that the Democratic Party has been as fast and as upstanding as you are making them out to be when it comes to condemning violence from people who hold their ideology.”
That was Avlon, Cupp, and Alford’s entire goal: every bad thing said by a Republican is said to represent the GOP while every bad thing said by a Democrat is said to not represent the party. Meanwhile, nobody ever did provide a counterargument to Jennings’s first point.
This segment was sponsored by Carvana.
Here is a transcript of the August 31 show:
CNN New Day with John Berman and Brianna Keilar
8/31/2022
7:38 AM ET
S.E. CUPP: I got called for jury duty and in jury selection, they're asking about politics -- and the case was over an assault on a cop. And they said so, Ms. Cupp, you're a Republican. Does that mean you're for law and order? And I said yeah and I was summarily dismissed because I -- you know, they thought that might mean I was sympathetic to the cop. But that's how synonymous law and order and Republicans have been for so long. Cut to the insurrection when the supporters of a Republican president used an American flag to assault a police officer.
For Joe Biden to take this back -- the language of patriotism, law and order, the Constitution -- things that I think Democrats ceded to Republicans for so many years is important because it's right, but also because those are important things. Those are the reasons I became a Republican -- the Constitution, law and order, loving this country.
And it's hard for Republicans to say they believe in all of that despite all the evidence. I think he's doing a really important thing.
JOHN AVLON: Yes. It sounds so old-fashioned.
CUPP: Do you agree, Scott?
JOHN BERMAN: Well, I was -- I was -- I was watching Scott.
SCOTT JENNINGS: Well, I wanted to –
BERMAN: Scott is sitting there silently.
JENNINGS: Well, I wanted to -- I wanted to hear –
CUPP: Because he knows I'm right.
JENNINGS: -- from Mr. Avlon because I know he has strong feelings about this.
But here's what I took away from Joe Biden's speech. Number one, he has no choice but to try to take this language back because he runs a political party that has come squarely down on the side of blame the police first. You've had Democrat mayors and prosecutors all over this country who have made horrific choices when it comes to their rhetoric and their policies on criminal justice in dealing with the cops. So he has no choice. This isn't some –
CUPP: No. He could double down on that. I agree with you that that's been their history.
JENNINGS: And so, he –
CUPP: He is deciding not to.
JENNINGS: He has -- he has no choice.
Number two, I'm heartened to hear him finally come out and take a strong stance against people who might threaten political violence because the government is going to do something that they don't like. I wish -- I only wish his passion wasn't so newfound because he had very little to say when people were out promising riots and violence if the Supreme Court does this, that, or the other. So I'm glad he's finally come around to this.
AVLON: But Scott, that's not true.
NATASHA ALFORD: Did they overturn –
AVLON: That's not even true.
ALFORD: Did they try to overturn –
JENNINGS: It is true.
AVLON: No, it's not.
ALFORD: -- an election?
AVLON: This is something -- sorry. You know –
JENNINGS: He was real slow, John.
AVLON: No.
JENNINGS: Real slow.
AVLON: No. I'm sorry. He consistently, both in the wake of Roe and in the summer of 2016, said there's no place for violence in peaceful protests. So –
CUPP: He said fund the police, not defund the police.
AVLON: That's right.
CUPP: He's one of the few.
ALFORD: He's been pretty clear on it.
AVLON: That's right. So look, I think the larger issue here is what he's condemning isn't just this background noise and the fact there is an opportunity, as S.E. said, to take back defensive law enforcement. But when Lindsey Graham says infamously, you know, if you prosecute the law fairly without favor there could be riots. You know, you've made the –
BERMAN: He said will.
AVLON: Yeah, there will be riots. That's a threat. You've made the point that you're worried that the DOJ might not prosecute Donald Trump, but other folks in the Republican Party -- senators -- people who definitionally should know better are saying they're afraid they will enforce the law without fear or favor when it comes to the ex- president. That's a fundamental contradiction with the idea of law and order.
JENNINGS: Yeah. Look, I agree. I think Lindsey Graham's choice of words and rhetoric there was poor. Now, it is true he then walked it back and said I'm not endorsing violence, which he should have done. But he should have never gone down that road in the first place. Because look, we're on probation over this. I mean, January 6 was a riot and it was Republicans. And so, we can't be flippant with our rhetoric.
But I fundamentally disagree with you that the Democratic Party has been as fast and as upstanding as you are making them out to be when it comes to condemning violence from people who hold their ideology.
