‘It’s a Colonizer’s Attitude’: Scott Jennings Called a ‘Fragile White Boy’ After Slinging Personal Insults At Tiffany Cross As She Outwits Him During CNN Showdown
Republican strategist Scott Jennings and former MSNBC host Tiffany Cross clashed in a fiery on-air exchange during a CNN panel Wednesday night, with tensions boiling over as Jennings went below the belt — reminding Cross that she was dropped by her former network.
With their clashing worldviews and no shortage of ego, sparks were flying yet again on “CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip,” but things took a sharply personal turn when the debate shifted to President Donald Trump’s whiplash-inducing tariffs, prompting Cross to pivot to his bizarre push to take Greenland from Denmark.
Video of the heated segment has since gone viral on social media
The debate kicked off with CNN business editor Richard Quest criticizing Trump’s overtures of claiming Greenland, his labeling Canada as the 51st state, and his adversarial stance toward America’s closest allies.
During his address to a joint session of Congress last month, Trump was clear about his intentions toward the Danish island territory.
“We need Greenland for national security and even international security, and we’re working with everybody involved to try and get it. But we need it really for international, for world security, and I think we’re going to get it. One way or the other, we’re going to get it,” he said.
“You just don’t do that,” Quest argued Wednesday, “not if you’re going to turn around, and goodness knows when, and say ‘can we have your help.’”
Both Jennings and Cross have previously voiced opposition to Trump’s fantasy of snatching up Greenland, but this time her viewpoints got under Jennings’s skin.
“It’s a colonizer’s attitude to say, ‘I like it, I’m just gonna steal it,’” Cross followed up, referring to Trump’s global ambitions. “Now, the fact of the matter is, in this new—”
That’s when Jennings interrupted, “Steal what?”
“Land, land,” Cross replied. “You cannot just go and say, ‘I like it, it’s mine now.’ It doesn’t work that way. That is what they’re trying to do. And in this new world order–”
Appearing dismayed, Jennings grinned and asked, “What?”
Cross then proceeded with her argument, but shifted her tone to suggest the issue extended beyond Trump — seeming to cast broader criticism toward the Republican Party as a whole.
“Yeah, absolutely. When they’re looking at Greenland and say, ‘I like it, I want to take it for mine.’ That is a very colonizer attitude.”
“I have never, ever said we’re going to go to Greenland and ‘colonize it or steal it!’ That’s crazy,” Jennings exploded.
“I’m not even talking about you,” Cross protested. “You’re not a member of the government. So you’re irrelevant on that point. I’m talking about the president of the United States.”
Jennings quickly took off the gloves with a brutal comeback.
“You got fired from your job. How relevant are you?” he asked, bringing the debate to a full boil.
“Scott, if you wanna engage in personal insults,” Cross began saying before Jennings cut her off, “I don’t, but you do.”
Cross accused Jennings of scrambling to cover for a flimsy argument, saying, “What you lack in the legitimate point, you make up for it in personal insults.”
“I don’t. You do,” Jennings snapped before Cross set him straight.
“The point I am making is in this new world order, we are looking at countries — whether or not they’re an adversary or ally — it is being determined on what kind of deal we can get. And we cannot govern. We cannot legislate that way. We are increasingly isolated on the world stage,” Cross continued.
“No we’re not,” Jennings disagreed, cutting Cross off again, but by this point, she done playing games with Jennings.
“So if you wanna engage in personal insults–I would reserve that for your party,” she clapped back.
Jennings tried to play it off like he didn’t hear what Cross said.
“We’re not. We’re not isolated,” he said, still trying to have the last word.
The interaction rubbed many the wrong way.
“Jennings sounds like a school bully “I’m rubber you’re glue whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you” He’s all that is wrong with our Republican men disrespecting women and verbally attacking us! I think someone of better morals should replace him!” one user commented.
Another added, “Scott is such a fragile ass white boy.”
MSNBC parted ways with Cross in November 2022, opting not to renew her contract.
Back in October, before Trump won the election, Jennings faced calls for CNN to drop him after another heated panel on “CNN NewsNight” where he defended Trump’s claim that “a lot of bad genes” exist in the country — a remark widely interpreted as a racist swipe at immigrants. Jennings escalated the moment by pointing a finger in the face of panelist Michael Eric Dyson and shouting, “I don’t answer to you,” prompting calls for him to be fired.