CNN's conservative panelist Scott Jennings scolded his on-screen co-stars as he compared the January 6 rioters to the Black Lives Matter agitators.
Jennings told Van Jones and David Axelrod that the Capitol protesters had been punished far more severely than those who looted and burned buildings in the name of racial justice in the summer of 2020.
“Here's what I think,” Jennings said Monday after Trump pardoned or commuted the sentences of 1,500 convicts from Jan. 6.
'Have these people been punished? Yes. Were they financially ruined? Yes. Have they spent time in prison? Yes. Has their life been destroyed? Absolute,'
“And one of you said earlier, Van or Ax, that you think this is a terrible sign that you can get away with this kind of thing.
“Like there's never been a time in recent American history where people weren't punished for dawdling around when they shouldn't have. It was in the summer of 2020,” he said.
At least 24 people were killed during riots following the killing of George Floyd in May 2020, causing $1 billion in damage in US cities.
Meanwhile, the January 2021 protests caused $2.8 million in damages.
Five were killed: one who overdosed, one protester was shot dead by police and three who died of natural causes, including a police officer.
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Scott Jennings had some stern words for fellow panelists on CNN's The Source on Monday night – when he compared Black Lives Matter rioters to those who stormed the Capitol on January 6. Fellow contributor Van Jones (left) objected
First, Jennings reminded the former Obama aide how many of the 1,500 convicts have already “ruined” their lives, in response to their claims that they have already received insufficient punishment. He suggested that the Black Lives Matter riots were much worse, but emphasized that no one has been punished for them
The comparison immediately provoked a response from Jones, who often comes into conflict with Jennings during broadcasts.
“I see that a little differently than you do,” he said, prompting Jennings to point out that those protesters “were never even charged.”
Jones, a lawyer, continued to insist, having already called the president's pardon “terrible” and a “shock.”
“I see it differently because I don't like it at all when people destroy buildings,” he argued, adding: “I'm not part of any pro-riot or pro-crime lobby.
'But I really don't like it when people attack police officers. I really don't like it at all,” he continued, before telling the panel that he is “the.” son of a police officer.
“My uncle is a police officer,” he continued. 'I don't like it at all. If you attack a police officer, before you get any leniency, before you get any support from this society, you have to apologize – and they haven't done that. That's wrong.'
He told Jennings, “And you yourself and others said you would have a problem if the violent people were let loose.”
It led to some more back and forth, after which Jennings insisted that it was “important to note that these people, whatever they did, whether it was accidentally coming in or doing something like that… they were punished.” [and] served for a certain period of time.
Collectively, the Black Lives Matter protests of the summer of 2020 killed at least 24 people and caused nearly $1 billion in damage. By comparison, the damage sustained during the Capitol siege cost taxpayers just over $2.8 million. Pictured: Protesters cause chaos in DC on May 31, 2020
Meanwhile, on January 6, 2021, a total of five people died: one from an overdose, one shot by Capitol Police, and three from natural causes. Among the latter was an officer who died a day after being attacked; his death was considered an unrelated event
'This is what I think. Were these people punished? Yes. Were they financially ruined? Yes. Have they spent time in prison? Yes. Has their life been destroyed? Absolutely,” Jennings said before drawing the comparison
“And my assumption is that virtually all of them have had their lives effectively ruined,” he further claimed.
The next day on CNN's NewsNight, Jennings maintained his position, telling host Abby Phillip that both groups of people were “crazy” and were trying to spark change by “taking matters into their own hands.”
That, he said, “they shouldn't have done.”
Jennings, often referred to as the network's black sheep, blamed “culture and public discourse” as the reason some have portrayed one group as “good” – and another as “bad.”
