Republican strategist Scott Jennings sparred with CNN host Abby Phillip during a Tuesday night segment after she raised concerns about the use of the National Guard in Washington, D.C.
The exchange came as President Donald Trump announced a federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department on Aug. 11 to crack down on crime in the nation’s capital. The move has sparked debate over whether deploying military resources against domestic crime crosses a constitutional line.
During the segment, Phillip argued that Americans value both safety and liberty. She said the military’s role is to protect citizens, not to be deployed against them, calling it a principle rooted in the nation’s founding. Progressive commentator Ana Kasparian agreed, noting Democrats had previously “gaslit” the public about crime.
Jennings pressed back, asking Phillip what kind of Americans she was referring to. He framed Trump’s move not as a war against citizens, but against criminals and illegal immigrants. “The ones that are murdering us, carjacking us, raping us, terrorizing our cities?” he asked, saying the federal response was aimed at restoring order.
The discussion comes as Attorney General Pam Bondi reported that more than 1,100 arrests have been made and 123 guns seized since the crackdown began. Supporters say the results show progress; critics argue the presence of military personnel risks collateral harm to innocent residents.
Phillip later clarified that her concern was not about criminals but about law-abiding Americans caught in the middle. “Even large amounts of armed military personnel on the streets are going to encounter a lot of Americans who’ve done nothing wrong,” she said, adding that everyone has rights, regardless of circumstance.
Tensions in the city were underscored when Department of Government Efficiency staffer Edward Coristine, known as “Big Balls,” was injured in August while trying to stop a mob from carrying out a carjacking. His case has become a symbol of both the city’s crime problem and the risks faced by ordinary citizens.