Republican strategist Scott Jennings clashed with former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson and CNN host Abby Phillip. The heated debate centered on Vice President J.D. Vance’s pushback against “lawfare” targeting Trump’s executive orders and efforts to control wasteful spending.
The Trump administration is appealing multiple injunctions imposed by federal judges. These injunctions blocked the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship, and a freeze on foreign aid. Jennings argued the judges are creating a “constitutional crisis” by overstepping their authority.
“There’s a difference between complying with the law and judges setting federal policy,” Jennings said. “Policy is the president’s job, not theirs. These judges should settle specific cases, not dictate how the country runs. Vance is right, and Trump has a point. This is all about lawfare.”
Phillip interrupted him. “No surprise you’re defending Trump,” she said. “But this is about the executive branch refusing to spend money Congress allocated. Congress said, ‘Spend it this way.’ The executive branch said, ‘No.’ Courts are saying, ‘You have to.’ That’s how it works.”
Trump’s freeze on foreign aid targeted bureaucrats and what he called the “foreign aid industry.” He said they were “not aligned with American interests” and even “antithetical to American values.” Vance backed him, posting on X: “Judges can’t control the executive’s legitimate power. That’s illegal.”
Jennings fired back again. “It’s the executive branch’s job to figure out how to spend the money. Congress appropriates it, and the executive decides how to implement it. Random federal judges shouldn’t interfere.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended Trump’s decision to close the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). He said the agency is “completely unresponsive” and full of “rank insubordination.” Rubio’s concerns about USAID started back when he was in Congress.
Carlson wasn’t convinced. “This isn’t just about district judges,” she said. “This is a slippery slope. They’re setting the stage to give the executive branch control over the judicial branch. Trump constantly pushes boundaries, and when there are no consequences, you get away with it.”
Jennings shot back. “I get it. You want judges who hate Trump to tie him up for four years. Big policy questions should go to the Supreme Court. But in the meantime, the executive branch has to govern.”