Two Republican pundits clashed on CNN on Thursday night over President Donald Trump's rekindled Iran conflict, with Scott Jennings sarcastically telling former Trump aide Caroline Sunshine that she should read more.
Sunshine, a former Disney Channel star who has opposed US military action against Iran, questioned Jennings' assertion that Iran has “been at war with us for 47 years.” She said she had only heard of the 47-year war this year and argued that it is not taught in schools.
Jennings retorted: “I'm sorry you don't read much. Did you just start following the news this year?” He later added that it is “insulting to your intelligence that you have no idea what the Iranians have done.” The exchange escalated when Sunshine asked how many Americans Iran has killed on US soil, prompting Jennings to claim that Iran and its proxies have “killed thousands of Americans” over the decades.
Jennings' remarks appear to draw on a timeline compiled by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, which catalogues Iranian attacks on Americans. The timeline notes that the 9/11 Commission found “strong evidence” that Iran facilitated travel by some al Qaeda hijackers, though it concluded Tehran had no prior knowledge of the attacks. The White House circulated a version of the timeline after launching its campaign against Iran, but omitted the 9/11-related portion.
During the same programme, Sunshine suggested Vice President JD Vance was set up to take the blame for the failed memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio notably absent. “I think we know now why JD Vance was sent out to go sell the MOU,” she said, adding that Vance was “set up to be the fall guy.”
