logo
CNN Pundit Scorched For Condescending Dig About American Workers Not Wearing Ties

CNN Pundit Scorched For Condescending Dig About American Workers Not Wearing Ties

Yahoo09-04-2025

Conservative CNN pundit Scott Jennings made a dig about remote work and workplace attires, and it did not sit well with many online.
During a Tuesday night segment of 'NewsNight with Abby Phillip,' the panelists each shared their — mainly lighthearted — takes on something they wish they could bring back from 'extinction.' Media personality and attorney Rachel Lindsay said she'd want to see an abundance of Blockbuster Video stores, while CNN chief media analyst Brian Stelter said he'd want to resurrect the AOL Instant Messenger away message feature.
Jennings, for his part, opted to target American workers who have office jobs.
'America, I'm going to hold your hand while I say this,' he said as he looked directly at the camera. 'We're going back to the office five days a week, and we're going to wear business attire. We're no longer dressing like hobos, and we're no longer going to act like every job is a part-time job.'
'Go back to work, put on a tie, stop whining, let's get back to business,' he added.
'Start with Elon Musk,' panelist Ana Navarro-Cárdenas shot back, referencing President Donald Trump's billionaire adviser who's typically seen wearing a T-shirt and a 'Make America Great Again' cap at meetings at the White House.
Jennings' comments reflect some of the negative attitudes people have had about remote work since its rise in the U.S. after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump and Musk have recently mandated that federal employees return to the office, and some companies have either ended remote working options or have switched to a hybrid work policy after going fully remote in 2020.
People on X, formerly Twitter, slammed Jennings for his remarks, with some saying he appeared to be centering male employees.
'I'm so sick of this notion that wearing a suit and being in a certain spot at certain times of the day is more of a priority than productivity and effectiveness in your job,' one X user wrote.
'Of course, it's always implied that work from home means 'don't do any work at all'. As if there aren't any mechanisms in place by employers to monitor if work is being done or not,' wrote another.
One X user quipped, 'Who can afford ties now?
While fully remote work may not, for several reasons, be suitable for every business or person, comments like Jennings' amplify negative stereotypes about people who work from home. But some research has linked remote work with increased overall productivity, while a 2023 Pew Research study found that a majority of people who can do their jobs remotely said that working from home helped them get work done and meet deadlines. Remote work has also helped make the workforce more inclusive for many people with disabilities.
Jennings' quip about people needing to wear a tie comes off as 'condescending,' said Hallie Kritsas, a licensed mental health counselor and therapist with Thriveworks.
Kritsas, who specializes in self-esteem, workplace issues and anxiety, told HuffPost that 'insinuating that someone who doesn't dress in a suit and tie is dressed like a 'hobo,' could come across as minimizing and condescending to many, positioning them as less worthy or capable due to what they wear.'
'It also devalues those in the workforce that are in a field that doesn't have a uniform, but definitely doesn't lend itself to a suit and tie,' she said, adding that his remarks send 'a message to people who may not be able to afford business attire that they do not belong in the workplace.'
Kritsas pointed out that wearing certain outfits 'might not be feasible for someone with a disability or sensory/touch issues.' She also referenced the fact that suits (which can be viewed as a symbol of status) and certain dress codes often carry higher price tags — and that that can be exclusionary to those who can't afford it.
'It also suggests that one's attire makes them better than those who cannot afford to wear the same things,' she said, which can make workers 'feel inadequate.'
She continued, 'Creating anxiety for workers around the topic of dress can actually have the opposite effect on productivity than leaders might hope for when pushing these blanket rules.'
CNN's Diehard Trump Fan Scott Jennings Makes Surprising Confession On Tariffs
Scott Jennings' Temper ERUPTS At Former Biden Official In Scary Outburst
'Really?': CNN Host Hits Back At House Republican's Eyebrow-Raising Trump Claim

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Senators propose $15-per-hour federal minimum wage
Senators propose $15-per-hour federal minimum wage

UPI

time5 minutes ago

  • UPI

Senators propose $15-per-hour federal minimum wage

A proposed federal act would raise the federal minimum wage law to $15 an hour on January 1, two U.S. senators announced on Tuesday. The Service Employee International Union was fighting for that wage in 2021 (pictured). File Photo by Tasos Katopodis/UPI | License Photo June 10 (UPI) -- The federal minimum wage would rise to $15 per hour, with annual cost-of-living increases based on inflation, in a proposed bipartisan measure. Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Peter Welch, D-Vt., co-sponsored the bill that they have named the "Higher Wages for American Workers Act" and would increase the federal minimum wage from its current $7.25 per hour for non-exempt workers. "For decades, working Americans have seen their wages flatline," Hawley said on Tuesday in a joint press release with Welch. "One major culprit of this is the failure of the federal minimum wage to keep up with the economic reality facing hardworking Americans every day," Hawley added. Welch said inflation and rising costs are making it too hard for families to afford basic necessities. "We're in the midst of a severe affordability crisis, with families in red and blue states alike struggling to afford necessities like housing and groceries," Welch said. "A stagnant federal minimum wage only adds fuel to the fire," he continued. "Every hardworking American deserves a living wage that helps put a roof over their head and food on the table -- $7.25 an hour doesn't even come close." "Times have changed, and working families deserve a wage that reflects today's financial reality," Welch added. Hawley said the current federal minimum wage is less than what a worker earned in 1940 when adjusted for inflation. If the proposed federal minimum wage increase is passed into law, it would take effect on Jan. 1 and allow cost-of-living increases that match inflation in subsequent years. Many states have respective minimum wage laws that exceed the current and proposed federal minimum wage, but a dozen still were at the federal minimum wage in 2024. Many large employers also have higher minimum wages, including Walmart, which has paid its workers at least $14 an hour and often more since 2023. President Joe Biden in 2021 ordered the federal government to pay contract workers at least $15 an hour. California lawmakers in 2022 raised the state's minimum wage for many fast-food workers to up to $22 an hour.

U.S. Conference of Mayors Statement on the Situation in Los Angeles
U.S. Conference of Mayors Statement on the Situation in Los Angeles

Yahoo

time6 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

U.S. Conference of Mayors Statement on the Situation in Los Angeles

WASHINGTON, June 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, U.S. Conference of Mayors President Columbus (OH) Mayor Andrew Ginther released the following statement on the situation in Los Angeles, California. "The streets of American cities are no place for the U.S. military. Law enforcement is a local responsibility, and America's mayors support Mayor Bass as she works with state authorities to promote order in her city. Protest, carried out peacefully, is a bedrock of our democracy. However, violence, theft, and destruction of property can never be tolerated. We have every confidence that Mayor Bass and state officials can manage the situation. The authorities there have the experience, training and resources to maintain peace and protect the rights of legitimate protestors. "With crime plummeting across the country, mayors have demonstrated their ability to promote public safety. Troops should never be deployed to cities without the request of state and local authorities. The U.S. Conference of Mayors stands firmly behind the rights of mayors to determine the best public safety strategies for their individual cities. We urge the president to work constructively with local and state authorities as we all strive to make our cities and the nation stronger." About the United States Conference of Mayors – The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are more than 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Follow our work on X, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, and Medium. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE U.S. Conference of Mayors

JERA close to signing deal for 1 MTPA of LNG from Commonwealth, sources say
JERA close to signing deal for 1 MTPA of LNG from Commonwealth, sources say

Yahoo

time6 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

JERA close to signing deal for 1 MTPA of LNG from Commonwealth, sources say

By Curtis Williams HOUSTON (Reuters) -U.S. liquefied natural gas developer Commonwealth LNG is close to signing a deal with Japan's biggest power generator, JERA, to supply it with 1 million metric tons per annum (mtpa) of LNG from its proposed export facility in Louisiana, two sources told Reuters. The deal would run for 20 years and bring Commonwealth LNG to 8 mtpa committed under long-term contracts. The company has said publicly that it wants to get contracts for at least 8 mtpa of its 9.5 mtpa LNG export terminal capacity to give the project the financial go ahead. The U.S. is the largest exporter of LNG in the world and based on projects under construction and those expected to get the financial go ahead this year, the country could triple its export capacity by 2030. "They have agreed to terms on the deal and should be signing it soon," one of the sources familiar with the negotiations told Reuters. Commonwealth LNG did not respond to a request for comment. JERA declined to comment. Commonwealth was one of the projects impacted by a pause on new LNG export licenses imposed by former President Joe Biden pending a study on the economic and environmental impact of further U.S. LNG expansion. That freeze was lifted by the Trump administration, which has promised to unleash American energy. In February Commonwealth received a conditional non-free trade agreement (non-FTA) export authorization from the Department of Energy. Commonwealth said it expects to reach a final investment decision in September 2025 for the project, with first LNG production expected in the first quarter of 2029. In May JERA announced that it had signed an agreement with NextDecade to purchase 2 mtpa of LNG from its Rio Grande project's fifth liquefaction facility.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store