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During a heated CNN panel discussion on Tuesday night, Republican strategist Scott Jennings defended President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed 25% tariff on Mexican and Canadian imports, citing border security and fentanyl concerns.
Scott Jennings is the only thing on CNN worth watching.
— Natradamus (@natradamus00) November 20, 2024
Earlier that day, Trump had taken to Truth Social to announce his tariff plans, demanding both nations increase their efforts to combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking into the United States. Jennings maintained that such aggressive measures were essential to capture the attention of leadership in both countries.
“Obviously it sparked the conversation, which they do need to have. They don’t have a lot of fentanyl that comes across the border, but there are some people that come across the border,” Jennings said about Canada. “I feel like what Mexico needs to do, they need to stop the people and they need to stop the drugs. It’s coming right over the southern border.”
“They’re a terrible neighbor. They have been a terrible neighbor and Donald Trump needs to get their attention and I think he has done that,” Jennings continued. “I agree with you, this is the beginning of a negotiation. But it’s more than just the economy. It’s national security. And it’s this poison that is killing American people all over this country.”
The discussion grew more intense when panel member Rampell brought up the recently failed bipartisan border security legislation, which had been negotiated by Senators Lankford, Murphy, and Sinema. She criticized Trump and House Republicans for rejecting the proposal, which included enhanced fentanyl detection capabilities.
“You know that there actually was bipartisan legislation intended to increase our fentanyl detection technologies at the border and Trump killed it?” Rampell claimed. “That was the bipartisan border bill that Trump basically unilaterally killed.”
Scott Jennings gives Trump credit for building an ideologically diverse Cabinet, and correctly concludes that this kind of unifying technique is how Trump got electedpic.twitter.com/lgovDmhtSy
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) November 24, 2024
The proposed legislation ultimately failed to advance in the Senate on February 7, with a 50-49 vote falling short of the required threshold.
Jennings dismissed Rampell’s focus on the failed bill, asserting, “You keep fighting these old battles. Donald Trump won and he wants and he wants the border secured.” When Rampell insisted the failed legislation was “the solution,” Jennings countered, “It’s not the only solution, because Mexico has to do something. It’s a crisis [and] they do nothing.”
