CNN contributor Scott Jennings says President Donald Trump “deserved” to win the Nobel Peace Prize, and through a dialogue Friday on “The Arena with Kasie Hunt,” he lashed out at fellow panelist Jamal Simmons for offering a counterargument.
Trump has spent months lobbying for the prize (or five), saying he has ended a number of international conflicts over the course of his second time period. His marketing campaign was in the end for naught, as nominations this yr concluded shortly after he took workplace.
The Nobel Committee on Friday awarded María Corina Machado, a Venezuelan politician who led the pro-democracy motion in her nation final yr. This prompted frustration from MAGA loyalists and seeming deflation from Trump, which Simmons criticized on CNN.
“Donald Trump is essentially the most politically highly effective president of my lifetime, and but he performs the sufferer,” he told the panel. “It’s simply not a superb look. I want he would simply kind of develop into the position slightly bit. And I’ll inform you, I’m not a Democrat who roots for Donald Trump’s failure.”
“I root for him to be truthful, proper?” Simmons continued. “And I believe what’s killing him on the … Nobel Prize in the long run goes to be on one hand, you’re going to have issues like what’s taking place within the Center East. However, you’ve obtained troops on the streets.”
Simmons, who served as communications director for former Vice President Kamala Harris, went on to quote the assault of a Chicago pastor — who was shot in the head with a pepper-spray ball by immigration brokers final month — as one more reason for his blended emotions.
“You’ve obtained all this disarray taking place at house, and it’s so laborious for individuals who wish to root for American success to root for Donald Trump, as a result of Donald Trump is doing each of these items on the similar time,” Simmons continued Friday.
Jennings responded, telling Simmons, “I agree with the whole lot you simply mentioned — it’s laborious for Democrats to root for America’s success, as a result of they’re so damaged by Donald Trump. That is the core downside of the Democratic Party … you can not carry your self to root for America as a result of Donald Trump is the president.”
Simmons — who had praised Trump moments earlier for his involvement in the Israel-Palestine peace deal — took umbrage.
“It’s not truthful, Scott,” he mentioned. “That’s not what I mentioned. It’s exactly the alternative.”
Jennings barreled forward, launching right into a diatribe about Trump deserving the peace prize, citing his controversial military strikes on Iran, “eight different peace agreements,” and the president’s position in mediating the 2020 Abraham Accords.
The conservative commentator didn’t finish there, in the end admitting, “I hope he does get it, as a result of on the finish of the day, it is going to piss off all the appropriate folks. And I simply, I might be so blissful. I might be so blissful.”
