CNN Panel Corrected on Election Results: ‘They’re Not Garbage or Nazis’

CNN contributor Scott Jennings took a moment to set the record straight for a panel of hosts struggling to grasp Donald Trump’s sweeping victory in the 2024 election. Addressing not just Trump’s electoral win, but also his likely lead in the popular vote a first for a Republican since 2004 Jennings delivered a clear message about why so many Americans are backing Trump and what this mandate truly represents.

Jennings noted that this wasn’t a narrow win or an anomaly; it was a mandate. “This is a big deal. This isn’t backing into the office,” he told the panel. “This is a mandate to do what you said you were going to do. Get the economy working again for regular working-class Americans. Fix immigration. Try to get crime under control. Try to reduce the chaos in the world.” Jennings emphasized that Trump’s victory is a message from ordinary Americans demanding change on issues that impact their lives.

The CNN contributor cut through the media’s frequent narrative about Trump’s base, asserting that they’re not “garbage” or “Nazis,” but regular, hardworking Americans. “The anonymous American who has been crushed, insulted, condescended to… They’re just regular people who get up and go to work every day and are trying to make a better life for their kids.” For many in Trump’s base, Jennings argued, this election represents a stand against elitist attitudes that have dismissed or belittled their concerns.

Jennings highlighted how working-class voters have been silenced and mocked, often told to “shut up” when they express their struggles. He explained that this election is an “indictment of the political information complex” that has ignored these Americans’ voices for years.

According to Jennings, Democrats miscalculated by focusing on “gimmicks” instead of the “fundamentals” that matter to voters. While Democrats ran ads that felt out-of-touch and disconnected from real issues, Trump’s message on economic recovery, inflation, and safety resonated with the public. “Inflation, people feeling like they were barely able to tread water at best those were the fundamentals of the election,” Jennings pointed out.

Jennings said that Democrats need to recognize this election as a wake-up call, urging them to get back to listening to voters rather than distracting with flashy ads or symbolic gestures. This election, he said, is “the revenge of just a regular old working-class American” who feels sidelined and unrepresented.

Jennings concluded with a challenge to both the media and political elites: “For all of us who cover elections and talk about elections and do this on a day-to-day basis, we have to figure out how to understand, talk to, and listen to the half of the country that rose up tonight and said, ‘we’ve had enough.’” Trump’s supporters, he implied, are not a fringe group but a substantial and significant voice in American politics.

As of Wednesday morning, Trump had a popular vote lead over Kamala Harris, tallying 71.7 million votes to her 66.8 million. For the media, Trump’s victory is a reminder of the importance of connecting with the American heartland, a call to pay closer attention to the concerns of working-class Americans who continue to drive the country’s political direction.

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