Watch: Scott Jennings Teaches CNN Panelists How the Government Works as They Melt Down Over Dan Bongino Appointment

CNN conservative commentator Scott Jennings reminded his fellow panelists Monday night of the most salient point when they complained about President Donald Trump’s appointment of Dan Bongino as deputy FBI director.

Tara Setmayer — who has been a senior adviser to the Never-Trump Lincoln Project — seemed particularly agitated by the president’s selection.

The panel had been discussing Bongino’s qualifications for the post, prompting Jennings to say to Setmayer, “You just denigrated Bongino’s law enforcement credentials. He was a cop and a Secret Service agent.”

He then turned to Anna Navarro — a regular on ABC’s “The View” who is rabidly anti-Trump — and said, “You denigrated his academic credentials. He has a master’s degree.”

USA Today reported that Bongino was born and raised in New York City and joined the NYPD in 1995. He became a Secret Service agent in 1999 and served in the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations until 2012.

He holds a master’s in psychology from Queens College and an MBA from Pennsylvania State University.

Bongino went on to work as an on-air personality at Fox News and currently hosts “The Dan Bongino Show” podcast.

Setmayer responded to Jennings, “Just because he was a police officer doesn’t make him qualified to run a 38,000-person, $11 billion budget agency.”

Interesting moment of election denialism on @cnn tonight. “I’ll never be over it, Scott.” https://t.co/xEkj5EjjzE

— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) February 25, 2025

Well, he won’t be running the FBI. That’s Kash Patel’s job. Bongino is there to assist in the endeavor, hence the title deputy FBI director.

Further, Setmayer’s first objection is a non sequitur: He’s not merely a former NYPD officer, but someone who worked in federal law enforcement with the Secret Service for over a decade. It would not be surprising if he interfaced with the FBI in that role.

Jennings then reminded her of the most important issue when it comes to Bongino’s appointment: “He serves at the pleasure of the president.”

Setmayer shot back at Jennings, “Whose judgment is terrible!”

Jennings is right. The American people chose Trump to be the head of the executive branch and entrusted him with staffing it with the people he thinks will best carry out his agenda.

And guess what? Reforming the FBI and the Justice Department overall was something Trump absolutely ran on, particularly following the FBI’s raid of his Mar-a-Lago home and the DOJ’s relentless push to prosecute and imprison him throughout his 2024 presidential campaign.

That’s to say nothing of how these agencies treated former members of Trump’s staff and his nonviolent Jan. 6 supporters. It marked an unprecedented politicization of the justice system.

So after all that, one could understand why Trump would not be inclined to choose a D.C. insider, either from within the FBI or otherwise, to head the bureau. Christopher Wray was that kind of pick to replace James Comey in 2017, and that did not work out so well, given the weaponization seen during Joe Biden’s term.

“You are not yet over the outcome of the election,” Jennings told Setmayer.

“No, because look at what’s happening to our country,” she replied. “And I’ll never be over it, Scott. This is dismantling our democracy in front of our eyes.”

CNN host Abby Phillip then jumped into the fray, saying to Jennings, “Does Dan Bongino have the qualifications to be the second person in charge of the FBI?”

At least she acknowledged that Bongino will be the No. 2 at the bureau, so that’s progress from Setmayer’s line of attack.

“Yes, he has law enforcement. He has academic [credentials]. And again, let me just stress this. I’ve mentioned this before. They serve at the pleasure of the president,” Jennings said.

Phillip replied dismissively, “I know that that is the answer to every question, Donald Trump wants it, therefore, it is good.”

“For political appoinments, yes,” he said, adding, “This is a reform-minded administration. They got outsiders.”

Jennings definitely carried the argument. The leftists on the CNN panel may not like Trump’s choice, but it was his to make, and Bongino does bring both a background in local law enforcement and at the federal level, which will no doubt serve him well.

Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.