CNN Panel Disrupted as Scott Jennings Claims Bureaucrats Favor Democrats

ATLANTA, Ga. — CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings sparked a heated debate during a panel on “CNN Newsnight” Monday, asserting that federal bureaucrats prefer to cooperate with Democratic administrations.

Jennings’ comments drew sharp reactions from the show’s host, Abby Phillip, and fellow panelists Ana Navarro and Tara Setmayer, who challenged his claim that federal agencies resist working with Republican presidents, particularly Donald Trump. “No, I know it is 100 percent true that bureaucracy is not aligned mostly with Republicans,” Jennings stated, as the panel quickly became contentious.

The discussion was initiated in response to Elon Musk‘s recent directive requiring federal employees to report their weekly accomplishments or face potential job loss. This order comes amidst a broader push by Trump and Musk to streamline government functions and reduce perceived waste within federal agencies. Trump publicly backed Musk’s initiative, expressing, “I thought it was great, because we have people who don’t show up to work and nobody even knows if they work for the government.”

This directive has been met with backlash from Democratic lawmakers and labor unions, which have encouraged federal workers to refuse compliance. During another segment on CNN, a National Labor Relations Board field examiner expressed outrage over Musk’s email, calling it a tactic to intimidate the federal workforce.

“This is clearly an attempt from Elon Musk to harass and bully… to gut the federal workforce and privatize public sector services,” the examiner said. Jennings, however, claimed that such reactions stem from a broader resistance among federal employees to a Republican administration. He elaborated, stating, “There’s an attempt when a Republican’s in the White House to argue that these federal agencies… can act independently from the political leadership of the country. And that’s what’s happening here.”

The argument escalated as Phillip interjected, asking Jennings if he suggested agencies only express independence during Republican administrations. Jennings affirmed her question repeatedly, leading Phillip to assert, “Well, you know that’s not true.” As the debate intensified, Jennings maintained his stance, concluding, “I think it is incredibly naïve to believe that there are not civil service bureaucrats who would love nothing more than to thwart this president for four years and wait for a Democrat to come back.”