CNN's senior political commentator and Republican political strategist Scott Jennings did not play around during his appearance on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday. During the panel discussion, the topic inevitably turned to the news that broke Friday night that Joe Biden had finally acknowledged his seventh grandchild whom his drug addict son Hunter had with a stripper in Arkansas. After his fellow panelist and Democrat strategist Michael LaRosa tried to accuse Republicans of playing politics with the Biden grandchild, Jennings took the gloves off and said: "It's not Republicans, with all due respect, who made Hunter Biden into a complete scumbag on this and other issues."
Fill-In anchor Kasie Hunt turned to Jennings and proclaimed President Biden "has made being a family man a central part of his political identity." This is what gave Jennings his chance to turn to LaRosa and say: "It's not Republicans, with all due respect, who made Hunter Biden into a complete scumbag on this and other issues. The ignoring his own daughter, for four years! And the President of the United States hanging up a stocking for the dog and not for his seventh grandchild?"
When Jennings called Hunter a "scumbag" you could hear the leftists on set all gasp and mutter under their breath. Hunt was subsequently forced to jump in and scold Jennings.
"We can also have sympathy for people who are struggling with addiction. Let's keep this conversation respectful," Hunt lectured.
"Listen, I totally agree," Jennings responded. "And you know where I’m from a lot of families deal with addiction, and you know who ends up picking up the piece? The grandparents! And in this case, the grandparents would not acknowledge this little girl."
"But they have now," Hunt interjected in Biden's defense.
Jennings responded with a comment dripping in sarcasm: "Oh, what a hero! The polling must have been brutal. The polling must have been brutal."
This segment was made possible by Farmers Insurance.
The transcript is below:
CNN’s State of the Union
7/30/2023
9:49:38 a.m. EasternKASIE HUNT: But Scott Jennings, the President has made being a family man a central part of his political identity.
SCOTT JENNINGS: It's not Republicans, with all due respect, who made Hunter Biden into a complete scumbag on this and other issues. The ignoring his own daughter, for four years! And the President of the United States hanging up a stocking for the dog and not for his seventh grandchild?
HUNT: We can also have sympathy for people who are struggling with addiction. Let's keep this conversation respectful.
JENNINGS: Listen, I totally agree. And you know where I’m from a lot of families deal with addiction, and you know who ends up picking up the piece? The grandparents! And in this case, the grandparents would not acknowledge this little girl. It is offensive. But the bottom line is—
HUNT: But they have now.
JENNINGS: Oh, what a hero! The polling must have been brutal. The polling must have been brutal.
