Republican strategist Scott Jennings sparked a heated discussion on a CNN panel Monday after liberal commentators criticized President Donald Trump’s blanket pardon of over 1,500 individuals convicted of crimes related to the January 6 Capitol riot. Jennings pushed back, highlighting what he described as a double standard in how participants in the 2020 Black Lives Matter (BLM) riots were treated compared to those involved in the Capitol events.
“Were these [Capitol] people punished? Yes. Were they ruined financially? Yes. Did they spend time in jail? Yes. Have their lives been ruined? Absolutely,” Jennings said. He reminded former Obama administration officials David Axelrod and Van Jones of the leniency many BLM rioters reportedly received during the summer of 2020, a period marked by widespread unrest following George Floyd’s death.
Jennings emphasized that the BLM protests resulted in significant destruction, including $1 billion in property damage and 24 fatalities, yet many participants “were never even charged.”
Van Jones countered, asserting that while he opposes rioting, particularly violence against police officers, the Jan. 6 participants deserved their punishment. Jones, whose father and uncle were police officers, stressed, “If you attack a police officer…you should apologize, and they didn’t.”
The discussion also referenced video footage aired by Tucker Carlson that raised questions about the conduct of Capitol Police during the January 6 riot. Jennings argued that, regardless of the scale of their actions, most Jan. 6 participants faced legal consequences that significantly disrupted their lives.
The debate underscores ongoing tensions about equity in how riots and protests are addressed and prosecuted in America.