Scott Jennings, a host on the Salem Radio Network, listened quietly on Friday as Tiffany Cross, a former MSNBC host, launched into a controversial critique of employees at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and supporters of President Trump.
Protests against immigration enforcement have escalated in the Minneapolis area following an incident where an ICE officer fatally shot a Venezuelan immigrant during a targeted operation. This occurred just a week after another ICE agent was involved in a fatal shooting. During a discussion about a federal judge’s order aimed at curbing ICE’s tactics, Cross contended that Trump supporters lack a “moral compass.”
“Scott, you often smile, but you regularly say very troubling things on your show. You even joke about people in prison in El Salvador,” Cross asserted. “These issues resonate deeply with Americans, and it’s clear what they’re experiencing. For me, it’s not just a political stance; it’s about recognizing the humanity in everyone, which I believe many on the right struggle with.”
Jennings sat with folded arms, remaining quiet as Cross critiqued Americans and ICE agents who voted for Trump in previous elections.
Cross expressed her concern regarding who is employed by ICE, suggesting a lack of thorough investigation into their hiring practices. “I’m curious how many people with extremist beliefs are on ICE’s payroll,” she remarked. She referenced a journalist from Slate who was allegedly offered a job at ICE without a proper background check, questioning the integrity of the hiring process.
Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, dismissed Cross’s accusations when approached for comment.
McLaughlin described Cross’s claims as “insanity” and “an utterly irresponsible lie at a crucial time for our nation.”
When CNN NewsNight host Abby Phillippe asked Jennings for his input, he seemed perplexed. “What do you even say?” he responded, to which Cross attempted to redirect the conversation.
Jennings interjected, indicating that he was listening. Cross encouraged him to discuss “what’s happening in America,” but Jennings firmly replied that he wouldn’t engage in what he termed a humanitarian attack on the 70 million Americans who voted Republican in the 2024 election.
“It’s not fair for you to label people liars, or suggest that they lack a moral compass just because they supported Trump,” Jennings continued. “I don’t think that’s right.”
“I didn’t say ‘everyone who votes Republican,’” Cross clarified, focusing on Trump supporters specifically. Jennings countered by affirming her stance nonetheless.
As the conversation unfolded, Jennings reiterated that he saw no point in responding to Cross’s criticisms, suggesting that she should reconsider painting 70 million people with such a broad brush.
In the past, Tucker Carlson, co-founder of the Daily Caller, has drawn controversial parallels between the rhetoric of Cross and her MSNBC colleagues to inflammatory media that incited serious violence in history.
