Media figures are calling on CNN to fire panelist Scott Jennings after the conservative commentator told a fellow on-air guest on Thursday to “get your f***ing hand out of my face.” The outburst occurred during a heated debate about the Iran war.
Background of the Incident
The dispute began on Thursday during an on-air debate about the Iran war. Jennings, a regular pro-Trump voice on CNN, clashed with Adam Mockler, a 23-year-old reporter and YouTuber for the progressive MeidasTouch network. As Mockler and Jennings debated the low popularity of the Iran war, Mockler accused Jennings of once again backing an “endless war,” referencing Jennings' service in the George W. Bush administration during the Iraq war. Tensions escalated as the two spoke over each other and gestured near each other's faces. “Get your f***ing hand out of my face, first of all,” Jennings eventually said.
Calls for Dismissal
Former CNN anchor Jim Acosta wrote on his Substack, “At any other network, in any other era of television news, uttering an impromptu F-bomb would be a fireable offense.” Acosta recalled Jennings as a “hothead” from their time working together and added, “Lighten up, Scott! Mockler is almost a kid. And a nice one at that. Either way, Jennings should be fired.” Political commentator Keith Boykin echoed the sentiment on Threads: “I’ve been on the air with Scott many times over the years. He is a paid CNN contributor. I’m not. Telling a fellow panelist to ‘get your f***ing hand out of my face’ is unacceptable... When I was under contract with CNN, I was told that contributors serve as ‘brand ambassadors.’ Is this the brand?”
Reactions from Those Involved
Mockler, in a YouTube video after the segment aired, accused Jennings of intentionally provoking conflict and picking on guests but not having the stomach to weather criticism himself. “If you can’t take the heat, then get the hell out of the kitchen,” Mockler said. The Independent has contacted Jennings and CNN for comment. Jennings, known for his spiky exchanges, has reliably earned the outrage of liberal media figures. In a 2025 monologue, MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell stated, “Now CNN eagerly pays a Trump supporter to lie on CNN every day and night for Donald Trump.” However, behind the scenes, Jennings is known to criticize Trump, according to Miles Taylor, former Homeland Security Department chief of staff under Trump. Taylor wrote on X in March, “You know who’s a perfect metaphor for the GOP? Scott Jennings. A pundit who mocks Trump with us during commercial breaks — but fawns over Trump when the camera is rolling. Brave enough to speak out… in the green room.”
Broader Context of Media Scrutiny
The debate over Jennings' comments comes amid heightened scrutiny of network practices and press freedoms. During the second Trump administration, there have been multiple large pushes from conservatives to fire late-night host Jimmy Kimmel, first for comments about Charlie Kirk in 2025 and then for a joke about the first lady looking like an “expectant widow” before the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. The Trump administration has joined these efforts, which critics say is an alarming sign for media freedom. Behind the scenes, Trump allies have consolidated control over major U.S. media forces, including via the U.S. takeover of TikTok’s American operations, the recent Paramount Skydance merger, and Paramount’s nearly-complete buyout of Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s parent company.
