A discussion on CNN Tuesday about the current state of play in the Republican Party became a bit tense as CNN political analyst Scott Jennings shot down anchor Brianna Keilar’s question regarding white nationalism in the GOP, which was based on new polling data.

“According also to this new polling. Scott, When I think of something that is very significant, which is in just four years, the number of Republicans who say that the country’s increasing racial, ethnic, and national diversity is threatening American culture has nearly doubled. It is still at a minority here, but that’s a big minority, 38%, and it’s nearly doubled. What do you think’s going to happen here? Will that continue to shoehorn Republicans into continuing to play footsie with white nationalism, even if maybe they don’t want to, but they’re going to go that direction?” Keilar asked.

“I totally reject the idea that the Republican Party is based on or playing footsie with or has anything to do with white nationalism. I think that’s completely wrong,” Jennings replied, adding:

And you do not have to do anything with it in order to be the Republican nominee. It has no place in our party, has no place on the American political spectrum. I do think there are legitimate concerns being raised by Republicans out there about corporate endeavors and other, you know, sort of cultural push and pull that, you know, [what] some people on the left wants, the people on the right Want to go against that.

So you’re going to have that kind of debate. But that’s a far cry from saying if I oppose, say, the DEI, you know, in corporate America that I’m somehow in bed with white nationalism.

Jennings then dove back into an analysis regarding Donald Trump’s versus Ron DeSantis’s ability to win college-educated voters in the GOP primary.

Keilar, however, went back to her original question and doubled down on the premise.

“Well, Scott, let me just be clear in what I’m talking about, which would be at some time. I mean, I think if you think back to McCain. Right. And how he would make sure to speak up and push back on maybe something that a voter would say or he would be very vociferous. And this is something you used to hear more from Republicans, that if there was another Republican who was saying something that they thought was bigoted and they didn’t think should represent the party, they would come out against it. Right. I mean, but sometimes you’ll see that they don’t come out as vociferously as they used to. And I wonder if when you’re looking at voters trending in that direction, if that’s going to make it more difficult for Republicans to do that,” Keilar clarified.

“Well, I will just think back on recent examples of this, since you’re saying sometimes, which is a nebulous term. But the most recent example of this is when Donald Trump had Kanye West and that other freak over for lunch, and virtually every major national Republican from every wing of the Republican Party immediately denounced it,” Jennings replied, adding:

And so I think what you’ll find if you look into it, is that when people stray off in this ridiculous direction, most Republicans actually know the difference between right and wrong on this. I’m not saying Trump does necessarily, because he obviously makes terrible decisions. But I think at least in that most recent example, where somebody was trying to include somebody that had sort of a stupid and horrific ideology, it was widely condemned by virtually every corner of the Republican Party.

The discussion then ended with Jennings and Ron Brownstein, an editor and the Atlantic, tussling over the same issue.

Watch the clip above via CNN.

The post CNN Anchor Doubles Down on GOP ‘Playing Footsie With White Nationalism’ After Analyst Vehemently Rejected Line of Questioning first appeared on Mediaite.

from Mediaite https://ift.tt/ZUKkf7d