CNN’s Abby Phillip and conservative commentator Scott Jennings clashed Monday night in a fiery exchange over President Trump’s ongoing legal battles, as the administration faces increasing judicial pushback to its sweeping government reforms.
The debate centered on a federal judge’s order requiring the administration to comply with a ruling to unfreeze federal grant money—one of several legal setbacks Trump has encountered in his push to slash federal agencies and rein in government spending.
Phillip, framing the situation as a matter of basic legal compliance, argued that each case was being handled individually and that Trump had an obligation to follow the rulings.
“Every single one of these cases deals with a discreet issue,” Phillip said. “They’re all being dealt with by different judges. It’s not broad swaths of policy here.”
Jennings, a staunch defender of Trump’s agenda, wasn’t buying it.
“It is,” he interjected, pushing back on the idea that these rulings weren’t fundamentally obstructing Trump’s broader policy goals.
Phillip then turned to the latest court order, asking why Trump couldn’t simply follow a judge’s ruling on spending.
“So, you’re saying a judge should decide how and when money is spent,” Jennings fired back. “And not the president of the United States.”
Scott Jennings has expanded his conquests by triggering Brian Stelter on air. pic.twitter.com/Am4I536eec
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) February 13, 2025
Phillip, clearly irritated, slowed her speech and said, “Let me explain it a little more slowly.”
Jennings, not one to back down, responded sharply: “You don’t have to talk to me like that. I have a position on this. If you disagree with me, we can talk about it.”
But Phillip doubled down, saying, “You’re not listening. And you’re making claims that are not connected to the facts.”
Jennings, unfazed, stuck to his argument: “I totally disagree that a judge should have the power to allow funding to federal programs during ongoing litigation over the issue.”
The exchange highlights a growing battle between the judiciary and the Trump administration, with Democrats increasingly raising concerns that the White House might simply ignore rulings it deems politically motivated. Monday’s federal court order underscores those fears, as Democratic-led states argue that Trump officials are dragging their feet in complying with rulings that reinstate blocked funds.
Jennings, a former GOP aide and CNN’s most vocal pro-Trump analyst, has consistently argued that courts are being used as a weapon to block a duly elected president’s policies. He was even rumored to be in the running for White House press secretary, a position that would have put him on the front lines of defending Trump’s battle against the judicial system.
