Scott Jennings Offers a Telling Reminder on Democrats’ ‘Big Tent’ Amidst Concerns With Mamdani

Almost two weeks ago now, after the New York City Democratic primary, Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani came that much closer to becoming the next mayor of our nation’s largest city. The position this puts the Democratic Party in came up during “CNN NewsNight on Abby Phillip,” with Scott Jennings making a rather fitting point.

During a discussion about President Donald Trump’s response to the far-left politician, as well as whether he sees himself as a communist–Mamdani claims he identifies as a “Democratic socialist”–Democratic strategist Joel Payne went off on being able to define communism and socialism and referred to the president as a “bully.” It’s not exactly a shocking move from the co-panelist, and it also provided Jennings with the chance to bring up an even better point. 

“Donald Trump, when we talked about this earlier, about being a bully, Democrats actually should be happy that we have folks, again, who have a wide range of appeal that are within our tent,” Payne claimed. “And you’re going to need Zohran Mamdanis and people who are moved by Zohran Mamdani as a part of a bigger Democratic coalition.” 

“So, yes, he might not use the language, he might not actually line up with the agenda of every other Democrat across the country, but that’s okay. I mean, you, big tent parties need to have room for people who do not actually align pure–purely with every single thing that the master party says,” he continued, as he went after Jennings for chuckling about such a point. 

During the crosstalk, as Phillip could be heard laughing and trying to redirect the conversation, Jennings quipped that “it’s awful,” adding, “I mean, their tent is so diverse that in one corner, you have the socialist, and in the other corner, the communist. It’s really wide!”

Jennings used evidence that Mamdani himself has talked about “seiz[ing] the means of production” as to why he qualifies as a communist.

It’s worth also pointing out that it’s not merely Mamdani’s “language” on economics is not merely problematic, though it certainly is. What puts Democrats into even more of a spot, as even House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has spoken to, involves concerns with antisemitism and Mamdani’s defense of the pro-Hamas, genocidal phrase of “globalize the intifada.”

Payne wasn’t the only one using cringeworthy insults against Trump, as Neera Tanden, who served a major role of the Biden-Harris administration, including to do with the autopen and who just appeared for a transcribed interview with the House Oversight Committee, was also on the panel. She spoke about a “cult king” as to why Trump’s fellow Republicans wouldn’t speak out against him.

Towards the end of the segment, Phillip tried to make it about how those immigrants who voted for Trump last November over then Vice President Kamala Harris voted for Mamdani just a few weeks ago, though she also acknowledged there were those who voted for former President Barack Obama and Trump.

“And congratulations for explaining just how terrible of a campaign Kamala Harris ran. I mean, she couldn’t keep people who want to vote for socialist from voting for Donald Trump,” Jennings reminded, also going for a warning about the city. 

“Look, New York City has had… frankly, terrible governance for years. And now this narrow, narrow, narrow sliver of liberal, rich, white, female Democrats who nominated Mamdani who have… enough money to lead when he destroys the city nominated this guy. The working class went for other people, but what he’s going to do is end up destroying the city for the working class, defunding the police, emptying the jails, fighting against federal enforcement of our immigration laws. The rich liberals who voted for him can leave. The working class can’t,” he pointed out as Tanden continuously tried to interrupt him. 

Such points about a “big tent” also was a nice connection from a point made earlier in the episode, when Jennings had offered another crucial distinction between the Democratic and Republican parties. Payne claimed that Republicans are in the era of “self-loathing” and have to be “forcing themselves” to vote for the One Big Beautiful Bill that just passed Congress and was signed into law by Trump earlier this week. He even claimed that “the only thing that unites them more important than anywhere on the ideological spectrum is fear and fealty to Donald Trump.”

As Harry Enten, also on CNN, addressed earlier in the week, though, Trump has record high approval rating with his fellow Republicans. Congressional Democrats are meanwhile facing record low with voters in multiple polls, and even their fellow Democrats aren’t too thrilled with them. 

There’s plenty to unpack and address there, and Jennings brought it back to the big tent in a way, specifically how Republicans are growing their base. 

“Democrats are having hard time coming to grips with the fact that we’re taking all of their voters, working class Americans, multiracial, multi-ethnic, multi-generational working class Americans all over this country who heretofore have almost uniformly voted Democrat en masse came towards the Republican party last November, and Trump did win the national popular vote because of it. It is an ideologically diverse party because of all of our new constituents,” Jennings pointed out, offering another harsh truth. 

Almost two weeks ago now, after the New York City Democratic primary, Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani came that much closer to becoming the next mayor of our nation’s largest city. The position this puts the Democratic Party in came up during “CNN NewsNight on Abby Phillip,” with Scott Jennings making a rather fitting point.

During a discussion about President Donald Trump’s response to the far-left politician, as well as whether he sees himself as a communist–Mamdani claims he identifies as a “Democratic socialist”–Democratic strategist Joel Payne went off on being able to define communism and socialism and referred to the president as a “bully.” It’s not exactly a shocking move from the co-panelist, and it also provided Jennings with the chance to bring up an even better point. 

“Donald Trump, when we talked about this earlier, about being a bully, Democrats actually should be happy that we have folks, again, who have a wide range of appeal that are within our tent,” Payne claimed. “And you’re going to need Zohran Mamdanis and people who are moved by Zohran Mamdani as a part of a bigger Democratic coalition.” 

“So, yes, he might not use the language, he might not actually line up with the agenda of every other Democrat across the country, but that’s okay. I mean, you, big tent parties need to have room for people who do not actually align pure–purely with every single thing that the master party says,” he continued, as he went after Jennings for chuckling about such a point. 

During the crosstalk, as Phillip could be heard laughing and trying to redirect the conversation, Jennings quipped that “it’s awful,” adding, “I mean, their tent is so diverse that in one corner, you have the socialist, and in the other corner, the communist. It’s really wide!”

Jennings used evidence that Mamdani himself has talked about “seiz[ing] the means of production” as to why he qualifies as a communist.

It’s worth also pointing out that it’s not merely Mamdani’s “language” on economics is not merely problematic, though it certainly is. What puts Democrats into even more of a spot, as even House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has spoken to, involves concerns with antisemitism and Mamdani’s defense of the pro-Hamas, genocidal phrase of “globalize the intifada.”

Payne wasn’t the only one using cringeworthy insults against Trump, as Neera Tanden, who served a major role of the Biden-Harris administration, including to do with the autopen and who just appeared for a transcribed interview with the House Oversight Committee, was also on the panel. She spoke about a “cult king” as to why Trump’s fellow Republicans wouldn’t speak out against him.

Towards the end of the segment, Phillip tried to make it about how those immigrants who voted for Trump last November over then Vice President Kamala Harris voted for Mamdani just a few weeks ago, though she also acknowledged there were those who voted for former President Barack Obama and Trump.

“And congratulations for explaining just how terrible of a campaign Kamala Harris ran. I mean, she couldn’t keep people who want to vote for socialist from voting for Donald Trump,” Jennings reminded, also going for a warning about the city. 

“Look, New York City has had… frankly, terrible governance for years. And now this narrow, narrow, narrow sliver of liberal, rich, white, female Democrats who nominated Mamdani who have… enough money to lead when he destroys the city nominated this guy. The working class went for other people, but what he’s going to do is end up destroying the city for the working class, defunding the police, emptying the jails, fighting against federal enforcement of our immigration laws. The rich liberals who voted for him can leave. The working class can’t,” he pointed out as Tanden continuously tried to interrupt him. 

Such points about a “big tent” also was a nice connection from a point made earlier in the episode, when Jennings had offered another crucial distinction between the Democratic and Republican parties. Payne claimed that Republicans are in the era of “self-loathing” and have to be “forcing themselves” to vote for the One Big Beautiful Bill that just passed Congress and was signed into law by Trump earlier this week. He even claimed that “the only thing that unites them more important than anywhere on the ideological spectrum is fear and fealty to Donald Trump.”

As Harry Enten, also on CNN, addressed earlier in the week, though, Trump has record high approval rating with his fellow Republicans. Congressional Democrats are meanwhile facing record low with voters in multiple polls, and even their fellow Democrats aren’t too thrilled with them. 

There’s plenty to unpack and address there, and Jennings brought it back to the big tent in a way, specifically how Republicans are growing their base. 

“Democrats are having hard time coming to grips with the fact that we’re taking all of their voters, working class Americans, multiracial, multi-ethnic, multi-generational working class Americans all over this country who heretofore have almost uniformly voted Democrat en masse came towards the Republican party last November, and Trump did win the national popular vote because of it. It is an ideologically diverse party because of all of our new constituents,” Jennings pointed out, offering another harsh truth.