Former Donald Trump aide Caroline Sunshine clashed with Scott Jennings, who’s reportedly in the running to be the next White House press secretary, on Thursday, telling him he will “ruin” the presidency if he goes near it.
Trump’s 2024 campaign communications director appeared alongside Jennings on CNN’s “NewsNight” to discuss the war in Iran. The two agreed the U.S. won and that Trump should tout a complete finish to the war.
Sunshine told host Abby Phillips “history doesn’t judge American presidents and their success in the Middle East by how long they stay. It judges them by how little they stay there.”
The former Trump staffer then said to Jennings, “Which is why George H.W. Bush is more successful than George W. Bush, who you advised, which is why I don’t want you going anywhere near Donald Trump’s presidency to go ruin it with more of your Iraq 2005 talking points.” Jennings worked on George W. Bush’s 2000 and 2004 campaigns and served as a special assistant to Bush in the White House.
Bakari Sellers, who was also on the panel, could not hold back his laughter.
The two clashed after Jennings, who is reportedly the front-runner to replace outgoing White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, argued the U.S would have to “leave some assets in the region for monitoring.”
“Can we go home? And why won’t you look me in the eye and answer a simple question, which is if we have won the war, we can go home. That’s what you agree, right?” Sunshine pressed Jennings.
He replied, “I don’t know you, and I don’t answer to you.”