It’s not a rare thing to see CNN panelists struggle with basic concepts of right and wrong. The fact that Republican strategist Scott Jennings was charitable enough to provide them with a simple chart to explain things is a nice touch.
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Jennings had to help the latest panel try and figure out why Daniel Penny — who heroically subdued Jordan Neely on a New York City subway train in May, restraining a man with a long rap sheet who had been threatening to kill people — and Luigi Mangione — who allegedly ambushed, shot, and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson as he walked down the street — are two very different people.
Journalist Audie Cornish, who was filling in on “NewsNight With Abby Phillip,” posed an initial question with an obvious answer.
“I want to bring in the politics of this because when I hear lawmakers hailing Penny as a hero, as a good Samaritan, really being promoted, can you help me understand the thinking?” she asked, adding, “We started at the top of the show talking about the killer of the UnitedHealthcare CEO being hailed in similar terms.”
Jennings whipped out a chart that would make Karl Rove and his whiteboard proud.
“Yeah, let me just help you understand,” Jennings stated. “If you‘re on the American left tonight, here‘s my chart. The good guys today: Daniel Penny. The bad guys: Luigi Mangione.”
@ScottJenningsKY has to break out a chart to explain to CNN why Daniel Penny is a hero and why Luigi Mangione is a killer.
Says of Penny: “I think you ought to build a statue to this guy in New York City.” pic.twitter.com/0Hg7ekeQZz
— Rusty (@Rusty_Weiss) December 10, 2024
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Simple. Straightforward. Even a toddler could understand.
Cornish countered by asking Jennings where his chart for the victims was. Again, that seems rather obvious. The guy walking down the street minding his own business should not have been executed. The guy with a criminal history, documented mental illness, threatening the lives of subway passengers needed to be subdued.
“People on the left can‘t seem to tell the difference between the good guys and the bad guys,” Jennings said.
Cornish then asked if the lone Republican on the panel agreed with Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ), who is planning to introduce a resolution to award Daniel Penny the Congressional Gold Medal, Congress’s highest civilian honor.
This Is the Way: Lawmaker Wants to Award Daniel Penny With Congress’ Highest Civilian Honor
“I think he ought to get a medal,” Jennings explained. “I think you ought to build a statue to this guy in New York City.”
Philadelphia Daily News columnist Solomon Jones, as is a prerequisite for any CNN panel regardless of topic, interjected race into the discussion immediately.
“I’m gonna say it. I’m gonna say the dreaded r-word,” Jones opined. “Race plays a role in this. Right?”
A skeptical Jennings shot back, “Does it?”
He noted the case of Jordan Williams, who was involved in a fatal stabbing incident on a New York City subway in 2023. Williams stabbed Devictor Ouedraogo after the man allegedly harassed and punched Williams’ girlfriend. Charges were dropped, however, due to a grand jury’s determination of self-defense.
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“What about the Jordan Williams case here in New York?”Jennings asked Jones. “Same situation, African American gets on a subway, ends up killing a guy, grand jury tosses it out at the exact same time as the Penny case.”
“That’s different. That’s different,” another panelist insisted.
Might have been time for Scott to break out another chart here to help explain that the difference in that case is that Williams is black and Penny is white.
Huh. Maybe Jones is right, after all. Race does play a role, but not the way he thinks.
