On Sunday afternoon’s CNN Newsroom, CNN political analyst Scott Jennings schooled disgraced former Senator and failed actor Al Franken over his blatantly false claim that Republicans in Congress will cut Social Security and Medicare if they win control of Congress in November. In fact, Jennings tore into him so badly that Franken was forced to turn to CNN Newsroom host Jim Acosta for help.
“McCarthy said and Scalise has said that the first thing they're going to do is cut Social Security and Medicare and you're going, they can't do it, unless the President vetoes it, but they're gonna hold–they say they’re gonna hold the debt limit hostage,” Franken falsely claimed.
“I've been there when they tried to hold the debt limit hostage. And you know what would happen if it went over, if we let that happen?” Franken asked. “The world economy would fall apart. The U.S. dollar would cease to be the go-to currency in the world. It would be an economic disaster.”
“That's not what Republicans are saying at all. Republicans have an advantage in this election, because they're actually running on the issues that all the polls tell us that the most people care about. Inflation, economy, crime,” Jennings said in response.
“The problem for the Democrats in this election is they're fishing off the wrong pier,” Jennings continued. “They made their entire bet, their entire bet was on abortion, and abortion has fallen down to sixth, seventh, or eighth place.”
Continuing to tear into Franken and his false narratives, Jennings noted: “I can read a poll and right now what I'm seeing in the polls is that voters don't think that the Democrats are good enough or smart enough and doggone it, they just don't like ‘em. That's the bottom line.”
Things got more testy when Franken doubled down and continued to lie to Jennings and his audience about the GOP’s plans for entitlements:
FRANKEN: I will say this. Both McCarthy and Scalise have said this. And you can't deny that, Scott. They have said--
JENNINGS: They're not cutting Social Security, they're not cutting Medicare.
FRANKEN: They have said it out loud.
JENNINGS: They are going to stop out of control spending that's driven the country into an inflationary spiral. That is true. They're not cutting entitlements. Come on!
Franken was clearly frustrated that Acosta wasn’t jumping in to save him and help him lie, so he turned to Acosta to ask for help “fact checking” Jennings.
“Jim, why don't you fact check it. You can see, there's plenty of coverage of it,” Franken frantically asked.
Jennings went after Franken one last time before the segment ended: “There was a fact check this week. Joe Biden has been saying the same damn thing you’re saying and the Washington Post fact checker fact checked him this week and said he was not telling the truth.”
So the bottom line is, it’s a scare tactic,” Jennings exclaimed. “I mean you’ve been around Democrat politics a long time. It's an old chestnut you guys pull out every October.”
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To read the transcript click “expand”:
CNN Newsroom
10/23/2022
3:14:20 p.m. EasternAL FRANKEN: I don't think we've gotten the economic message out enough. I totally agree with them. McCarthy said and Scalise has said that the first thing they're going to do is cut Social Security and Medicare and you're going, they can't do it, unless the President vetoes it, but they're gonna hold–they say they’re gonna hold the debt limit hostage. I've been there when they tried to hold the debt limit hostage. And you know what would happen if it went over, if we let that happen?
The world economy would fall apart. The U.S. dollar would cease to be the go-to currency in the world. It would be an economic disaster. And they're threatening that. And so, usually Republicans, at this point in an election take an ad out, Democrats are saying we're going to cut Social Security and Medicare. They're lying. We're not going to do that. Now they're saying, we're going to do that! They are!
JIM ACOSTA: Scott? You get the last word.
SCOTT JENNINGS: Yeah, if you don't mind, I would like to respond to that. That's not what Republicans are saying at all. Republicans have an advantage in this election, because they're actually running on the issues that all the polls tell us that the most people care about. Inflation, economy, crime. It's the top issue in every national poll. It's the top issue in almost every state poll where the big issues are taking place. The problem for the Democrats in this election is they're fishing off the wrong pier.
They made their entire bet, their entire bet was on abortion, and abortion has fallen down to sixth, seventh, or eighth place. I can read a poll and right now what I'm seeing in the polls is that voters don't think that the Democrats are good enough or smart enough and doggone it, they just don't like ‘em. That's the bottom line. The Democrats have failed to respond to the people's top issues in this election.
FRANKEN: Thanks for the shoutout for Stuart Smalley
ACOSTA: I was going to say, that might give Al the last word here.
FRANKEN: I will say this. Both McCarthy and Scalise have said this. And you can't deny that, Scott. They have said--
JENNINGS: They're not cutting Social Security, they're not cutting Medicare.
FRANKEN: They have said it out loud.
JENNINGS: They are going to stop out of control spending that's driven the country into an inflationary spiral. That is true. They're not cutting entitlements. Come on!
FRANKEN: No, they said they would. Jim, why don't you fact check it. You can see, there's plenty of coverage of it.
JENNINGS: There was a fact check this week. Joe Biden has been saying the same damn thing you’re saying and the Washington Post fact checker fact checked him this week and said he was not telling the truth. So the bottom line is, it’s a scare tactic. I mean you’ve been around Democrat politics a long time. It's an old chestnut you guys pull out every October.
