Liberal activist David Hogg criticised conservative CNN commentator Scott Jennings for lecturing viewers about affordability while wearing a Rolex watch. The exchange occurred during a panel on CNN NewsNight discussing New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.
Jennings questioned Mamdani's electability, calling New York a 'Democrat town' and suggesting Mamdani would be a socialist leader. Hogg, 25, responded by highlighting public financing for elections in New York and then targeting Jennings directly: 'I think part of the reason [Mamdani's] so powerful is because people are tired of being lectured by men with Rolexes on CNN about affordability in this country.'
Hogg, a survivor of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting and former Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee, argued that Mamdani's message resonates because it offers clear plans. Jennings countered by asking if Hogg wanted a 'socialist future' for his party, to which Hogg replied he wanted universal healthcare and affordable living.
The pair also clashed over the government shutdown. Hogg claimed Democrats were protecting Americans from premium rises under Republican changes to the Affordable Care Act, while Jennings accused Democrats of creating a crisis by linking unrelated issues. The shutdown is on track to become the longest ever, with President Donald Trump refusing to be 'extorted' by Democrats over ACA subsidies.
