CNN’s conservative political commentator Scott Jennings raised more than a few eyebrows Monday night when he bragged about the U.S. violating international law all the time. “Who’s going to stop us?” Jennings asked during a panel discussion on “NewsNight With Abby Phillip” about the U.S. military strike on Iran over the weekend.
It started when panelist Dr. Cornel West, an activist and independent 2024 presidential candidate, questioned the morality of an attack on another country.
“The Iranians do not speak the language of diplomacy unless force is used, and that is what President Trump and the United States used this past weekend in a precision, perfection way,” Pete Seat, a former White House spokesman under former President George W. Bush, said when West jumped in and called the U.S. attack on three Iranian nuclear sites “illegal, unconstitutional.”
Seat, more than a little irritated, interrupted him, claiming, “It is not illegal in any way, shape or form,” agreeing with President Donald Trump’s decision Saturday to launch an airstrike on three nuclear sites in Iran.
“It was a violation of international law,” West said as Seat talked over him. “You can’t violate the national sovereignty of a country,” West added.
That’s when Jennings spoke up. “Why?” he asked. A surprised West repeated the question, “Why?”
“We do it all the time,” Jennings calmly replied, also in defense of Trump order to attack Iran.
“I know because America violates international law all the time,” West said.
“Who’s going to stop us?” Jennings asked smugly.
“You would think morality,” West quickly shot back in an attempt to be the voice of reason in the room.
Jennings and Seat’s comments surprised social media. “’We do it all the time’ is not the flex Jennings thinks it is,” a user posted on X.
“Jennings: ‘Why? We do it all the time. Who’s going to stop us?’ Spoken like a true entitled bully,” another user commented.
Jennings followed up his comments Monday with more support for the President’s decision to strike Iran. “Trump made a courageous decision that has obviously worked. And Dems just can’t bring themselves to say: ‘Well done, Mr President. Smart play.’ They just don’t get it,” he posted Tuesday on social media.
Those comments provoked another round of back-and-forth between those who supported the attack on Iran and those who do not.
“LET’S RECAP: – Trump unilaterally withdraws from a nuclear treaty that was working …against the advice of ALL allies & ALL US Intel. Upon which Iran naturally resumed its uranium enrichment & stockpile efforts,” an X user posted.
“Trump bombs Iran’s nuclear facilities along with Israel based on Israel statement they are close to having nukes …contradicting U.S. Intel that says they are years away,” the poster continued.
“The results of bombings are inconclusive as unsure it had any impact on uranium stockpiles and resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths with threats of retaliation sure to come. Ssoo yeah …‘well done Mr President’ might better be replaced with WTF!”
Just over a week ago Israel launched an unprecedented military strike on Iran, claiming Tehran was within days of having a nuclear weapon. Iran quickly retaliated, firing ballistic missiles at Israel. Trump, insisting that Iran was building a nuclear bomb, despite what his own intelligence officials were telling him, ordered a U.S. military attack Saturday on three Iranian nuclear sites.
Then Monday the President proclaimed he had brokered a ceasefire between the two warring nations but the bombings continued, with each side blaming the other for not honoring the truce. Trump then demanded in a profane-laden rant to reporters that Israel and Iran abide by the deal. A shaky ceasefire is now in place.
