Latest news with #SenecaProject
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Scott Jennings Stunned Into Silence by Brutal Trump Receipts
CNN's resident conservative pundit Scott Jennings struggled for a response when he was confronted with receipts on Donald Trump's record with cops. Jennings only held his hand to his chin as Seneca Project co-founder Tara Setmayer slammed MAGA's belief that the president 'backs the blue' on Monday's News Night With Abby Phillip. The panelists were discussing Trump's announcement that he's taking control of D.C.'s police for 30 days, citing a public safety emergency. The president also announced he would deploy up to 800 National Guard troops in the city. Jennings had to be cued for a response after Setmayer challenged Trump's history when it comes to supporting law enforcement. 'When Trump supporters are trying to sit here and act as though Donald Trump supports and backs the blue—no he doesn't,' Setmayer said on the panel. 'You look at what Donald Trump did and what MAGA has done to the police officers who defended our Capitol on January 6. You want to talk about spitting in the face?' she continued. 'Donald Trump spit in the face of every single one of those officers who took that oath to protect and serve on January 6, when he pardoned those insurrectionists who wanted to take down our Capitol and stop the free and fair, peaceful transfer of power.' She concluded, pointing at Jennings, 'He did not protect or defend the Constitution and he violated his oath of office. You know who said that? You did.' Jennings, who recently penned the upcoming Trump book A Revolution of Common Sense: How Donald Trump Stormed Washington and Fought for Western Civilization and received a substantial pay bump after the 2024 election to appear on CNN to sing the president's praises, had no response. He had indeed declared that Trump had 'violated' his oath during a CNN appearance with Anderson Cooper on Jan. 6, 2021 and suggested Trump should step down. When Jennings didn't defend himself or Trump in the moment, Phillip turned the conversation to another panelist for a response, who argued that Trump supports the police because 'everywhere he goes, law enforcement wants to take a picture with him.' Several minutes later, as Jennings remained mum throughout the back and forth, Phillip prodded, 'I want to give Scott a moment because he has not said a single thing.' Jennings reiterated that 'what happened to the cops' on Jan 6 'was a disgrace. They didn't deserve to be treated that way,' but defended Trump's D.C. National Guard deployment. According to Jennings, the move shows the president was thinking, ''What can I do today? D.C. is the only city I really have control of, so I'm going to try to give them some support.'' As for Trump's pardons on Jan. 6, he said, 'All you can do is hit the next shot.' Setmayer jumped in as Phillip wrapped up the panel, 'If he controls D.C., why didn't he do it on January 6th?'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
CNN Panelists Go to War Over Trump's Meeting With Putin: ‘Don't Put Words in My Mouth!'
A CNN panel discussion descended into chaos with a heated spat over President Trump's upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The bedlam began on NewsNight With Abby Phillip when conservative analyst Scott Jennings—who said he was prepared to give Trump some 'latitude' to talk to Putin—was challenged by commentator Tara Setmayer over his claim that Trump has 'solved, like, seven conflicts this year.' 'What reality do you live in?' Jennings said, heckling Setmayer—the co-founder of the Seneca Project and former Republican who has vocally criticized Trump—as she tried to make her point. As Setmayer said that Trump appears to have 'an affinity for Vladimir Putin,' Jennings cut in with: 'Lying!' His response irked Setmayer, who fired back: 'No, you're not going to get away with calling me a liar.' 'I know that's like the line you like to throw out, but I'm not lying, nobody's lying about anything. You can ask the countries who were involved in this whether Donald Trump actually solved those conflicts or whether it was pomp and circumstance.' She also said Trump had been a 'useful idiot for Russia for years,' prompting right-wing talk show host Ben Ferguson to cut in with: 'Is Biden a useful idiot?' Trying to restore order, host Abby Phillip asked Ferguson about Trump's approach to negotiations with Putin over the Ukraine war, which Trump had said he could end in 24 hours when he returned to office. '[Trump] wants to be a peacemaker. He wants the Nobel Peace Prize, that whole thing,' Phillip said. 'And this has been elusive largely because Vladimir Putin is not that interested in the deal. He's not. So is Trump going into this a little bit naive, thinking that Putin is actually ready to deal when what he really wants is complete victory?' 'This is the part that I think is really just sad, is that there's people sitting at this table who clearly want this to be a failure,' Ferguson said. 'Where are those people?' asked Setmayer, to which Ferguson responded: 'I think you're one of them.' Setmayer reacted furiously to the accusation, telling the guest: 'What? Don't you put words in my mouth. I never said that. We want him to negotiate from a position of strength, not bringing a war criminal onto U.S. soil, and-' Ferguson tried to cut her off and get back on track, but instead found his confrontational tone thrown back in his face. 'Oh, I'm not allowed to interrupt you, but you can interrupt me and overtalk?' Setmayer asked. Phillip then intervened to end the exchange because of all the 'bickering.' Trump has had limited success in his self-appointed role as a 'peacemaker' throughout his second term. Trump and his supporters have cited his role in diplomatic efforts between Thailand and Cambodia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, and Egypt and Ethiopia. The president's claim that he helped negotiate an end to the India-Pakistan conflict has been dismissed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and his attempts to impose ceasefires in Ukraine and Gaza have fallen apart almost immediately. The president will meet with Putin in Alaska on Friday to discuss a potential end to the war in Ukraine, despite the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the negotiating table still being uncertain. Speaking to reporters about the meeting on Monday, Trump said: 'We're going to try to get some of that territory back for Ukraine,' claiming the two countries would engage in 'some swapping, changes in land.' Russia currently occupies large areas of Ukraine, including much of its eastern territories and the Crimea peninsula. Putin has kept up his attacks on Ukraine as the summit with Trump approaches.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
It all kicked off when MAGA pundit Scott Jennings accused a guest of being a 'liar.'
A CNN panel discussion descended into chaos with a heated spat over President Trump's upcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The bedlam began on NewsNight With Abby Phillip when conservative analyst Scott Jennings—who said he was prepared to give Trump some 'latitude' to talk to Putin—was challenged by commentator Tara Setmayer over his claim that Trump has 'solved, like, seven conflicts this year.' 'What reality do you live in?' Jennings said, heckling Setmayer—the co-founder of the Seneca Project and former Republican who has vocally criticized Trump—as she tried to make her point. As Setmayer said that Trump appears to have 'an affinity for Vladimir Putin,' Jennings cut in with: 'Lying!'
The Independent
27-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Kristi Noem criticized for filming video in front of caged prisoners in El Salvador
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is facing backlash for using a crowded prison cell filled with deported migrants in El Salvador as the backdrop for a video threatening to prosecute people who come to the United States illegally. 'If you come to our country illegally, this is one of the consequences you can face,' Noem said in a video filmed at the Terrosim Confinement Center, known as CECOM, and posted to social media Wednesday evening. Behind Noem in the video is a prison cell filled with men who are huddled together, trying to fit onto three-tier metal detention beds. The men wear uniform outfits: white t-shirts and white underpants with freshly shaved heads – keeping many of their identities concealed. Some are shirtless with their tattoos visible and others wear medical face masks. On social media, several people accused Noem of using the individuals as 'props' for her video. 'Regardless of political ideology, using human beings as background props in propaganda is nasty work,' journalist Zack Guzmán wrote on X. 'What staging. Were they holding rifles pointed at the prisoners while she spoke about them like this? Either way, this is wild!' Francisco Gonzalez responded on X. The Seneca Project called the video 'absolutely vile.' 'CECOT is not EPCOT!' Cliff wrote. Others on social media noticed Noem wearing several pieces of jewelry, including a large gold watch, and pointed to the juxtaposition of the scene. 'Wearing what appears to be a $50k gold Rolex Daytona to film a threat of due-process free rendition to a third-world prison is a really special touch, Secretary,' Patrick Jaicomo, a civil rights litigator, wrote. Noem used the visual of the prison to threaten other migrants, claiming those who come to the U.S. illegally will be 'removed' and 'prosecuted.' 'But know that this facility is one of the tools in our toolkit that we will use if you commit crimes against the American people,' Noem said. Simply entering the U.S. illegally is not a crime; it is a civil offense. Several people on X shared their frustrations with Noem's use of visuals to bolster her efforts to help deport undocumented immigrants. 'Anyone as tired of these photo/video ops as I am?' An X user asked in the replies. Another social media user named Tom similarly told Noem, 'Prefer you spending more time on facilitating actual outcomes; as compared to 20 social media propaganda posts every week.' Located in El Salvador's capital, the maximum security prison is notorious. Inmates are packed into cells and only allowed outside of them for 30 minutes. They cannot communicate with family or receive visitors. Inmates are also not allowed to receive education. President Donald Trump has partnered with the Salvadorian government to send approximately 230 undocumented immigrants accused of being part of the Tren de Aragua gang to the facility; however, the administration is accused of sending them there without due process. Administration officials have not confirmed the identity of the individuals they sent nor the crimes they supposedly committed. A federal judge has blocked officials from continuing to send migrants to the prison – though a lawsuit currently accuses the administration of defying that court order. 'No American—Republican or Democrat—should accept DHS using CECOT to sidestep the Constitution,' Alex Howard, the former spokesperson for DHS, said in response to Noem's video. 'Stripping due process is un-American, full stop. We don't protect our country by abandoning the principles that define it. We're better than this.'
The Guardian
24-03-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Who is the real JD Vance?
'JD Vance is a fascinating figure in politics, particularly given how many times he's reinvented himself,' Tara Setmayer, a political communications consultant and the chief executive of the Seneca Project, tells Michael Safi. 'I think there's a certain amount of cynicism and performative politics when it comes to politicians, especially at that level. But JD Vance seems to bring that to a whole new level,' she says. Setmayer left the Republican party in 2020, after Donald Trump refused to concede the election. She tells Michael how Vance went from calling himself a 'Never Trump guy' to being picked as vice-president. They examine how Vance is using the role to lay the groundwork in order to inherit the Maga empire. 'When he started talking more about masculinity and traditional family values, you could see him leaning more into the Maga world's worst instincts.' But what does JD Vance really believe? Support the Guardian today:
