NewsNation host Chris Cuomo issued a sharp warning to CNN analyst Scott Jennings on Wednesday, arguing that Jennings’ repeated use of the term “illegal aliens” could provoke a dangerous reaction.
Cuomo criticized Jennings for what he described as a combative posture during a recent CNN panel, where activist Cameron Kasky told him, “You don’t get to say the word ‘illegals’ anymore.” Jennings pushed back, refusing to change his wording and repeatedly pressing Kasky: “How are you going to enforce your edict on me?”
In a video posted on social media, Cuomo accused Jennings of acting like a “bully” and a “tough guy.”
“What are you, a bully now? What are you, a tough guy?” Cuomo said. “Because you’re talking to this kid, who happens to be right, calling people ‘illegal.’”
Cuomo argued that the language shift away from “illegal” has been understood in politics for years.
“A long time ago, Democrats and Republicans agreed to call them ‘undocumented’ instead of ‘illegal’ because it seemed inhuman,” he said. “That’s why. They changed the vernacular, and you know it!”
He continued with another jab at Jennings’ role as a Trump defender: “What are you, you’re a tough guy now? I thought you were supposed to be the simpering-but-open-to-conversation Trump defender.”
As his remarks escalated, Cuomo suggested that Jennings could face physical consequences if he keeps using the term.
“Be careful. You wanna be a tough guy, there are plenty of tough guys out there,” Cuomo said. “You wanna see how somebody can make you say ‘illegal’? And then what are you gonna do, sue, tough guy?”
Cuomo then added that if Jennings’ words fuel anger and conflict, he shouldn’t be surprised by the blowback.
“So if somebody beats your ass because you’re being rude and disrespectful and causing division in this country… if you really wanna be a part of that, as the expression goes, FAFO.”
He ended with a final warning: “Don’t be a tough guy.”
