CNN pundit Scott Jennings ripped into fellow conservative panelist Caroline Sunshine during a fiery on-air clash over Iran after she admitted she hadn’t heard the US has been engaged in conflict with the regime for nearly five decades.
The heated exchange took place on Thursday’s “CNN NewsNight,” hosted by Abby Phillip, where guests sparred over whether Congress should impose additional “guardrails” on President Trump’s authority to launch military action against Iran.
Jennings, who argued against new restrictions, dismissed calls for greater congressional oversight, saying the US couldn’t afford to be “all rainbows and unicorns with the Iranians,” adding that “they’ve been at war with us for 47 years.”
For emphasis, he repeated: “Forty-seven years! Forty-seven years!”
Sunshine, a former Trump campaign staffer, interrupted Jennings to say: “Forty-seven years? Why did I learn about … I’m sorry, the first time I’ve heard about the 47-year Iran war was like this year.”
“I’m sorry you don’t read much,” Jennings replied with a laugh. “Did you just start following the news this year?”
“We don’t teach about the 47-year war with Iran in school,” Sunshine said. “Like, it’s insulting to actual conflicts that we’ve been involved in.”
Jennings hit back: “It’s insulting? It’s insulting to your intelligence that you have no idea what the Iranians have done!”
The duo spoke over one another before Sunshine said: “How many Americans have they killed on US soil in the 47 years we’ve been in the war?”
“They’ve killed thousands of Americans — they have maimed American soldiers,” Jennings replied.
“Yeah, which is all wrong,” Sunshine said. “Why have our soldiers been over there?”
“They’ve attacked American allies,” Jennings continued. “And they have been at war with the West ever since this regime came to power, and it is their intention to build a nuclear weapon and use it on us and use it on Israel and use it on the West. That is their intention and it is their stated intention.”
Sunshine countered: “They intend to just keep using the Strait of Hormuz. They have now learned that they can behave like a nuclear power without ever needing to be one.”
She then questioned the limits of Trump’s ongoing campaign, saying: “But OK, so like, if we’re going to keep going, and what’s your number? Like, how many US troops are you willing to expend to achieve your objectives and what amount of money? Because like, we’re not having that conversation and we need to because we’ve already spent $300 million, we’ve already lost –”
campaign in Iran amid a tense exchange with Jennings.
“What amount of money am I willing to spend to keep the American people safe from the worst regime in the world? A fair amount,” Jennings said.
Sunshine replied: “OK. Iran, nobody is like, first of all, Iran does not have a nuclear weapon. They don’t want a nuclear weapon.”
“They don’t?” Jennings said mockingly.
“And nobody is firing a nuke at a country that has 5,000 of them. Do you understand?” Sunshine added.
“A, they do want a nuclear weapon, and B, you’re acting like they’re some sort of a rational actor here,” Jennings hit back. “They’re irrational people. It’s pretty apparent.”
Phillip interrupted the back-and-forth and moved on to another topic.