CNN host Abby Phillip fact-checked conservative commentator Scott Jennings live on air during a Tuesday, October 7, 2025 broadcast of NewsNight, prompting the panel to burst into laughter after he touted a minimal uptick in President Donald Trump’s approval rating.
During the segment, Phillip and Jennings discussed polling trends ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Phillip cited fresh data showing Democrats holding a narrow national advantage over Republicans. She noted that CNN data guru Harry Enten had pointed out that the generic ballot earlier in the year showed Democrats and Republicans essentially tied, but Democrats now held an advantage.
According to the latest Gallup numbers, 48 percent of Americans identified as Democrats compared to 41 percent who identified as Republicans. That shift marked a reversal from the previous year’s election period, when Republican identification briefly led.
Phillip then began noting that Trump’s overall approval rating had moved only slightly despite the political turbulence surrounding his administration. As she started to explain that Enten had reported Trump’s job approval had actually gone up, Jennings interjected to complete the thought. Both said in unison that the increase was by one point.
While not technically untrue, Phillip laughed as she pointed out the paltry rise in approval. Another guest, one-time presidential candidate Cornel West, continued to chuckle as Jennings ignored the hilarity surrounding his remarks.
Phillip immediately added that despite the slight uptick, the president remained deeply underwater in public opinion. “Scott, he’s still deeply underwater. It’s 56 to 42,” she stated, referencing a Reuters poll released earlier that week showing that while Trump’s approval had ticked up slightly, a majority of Americans still disapproved of his performance.
Jennings acknowledged the number but pivoted to Trump’s offer to negotiate with Democrats amid the government shutdown. The federal government had been partially closed since October 1, after the Senate failed to pass a continuing resolution to extend funding past September 30.
Jennings suggested the president would be happy to meet with Democrats if they stopped holding the government hostage. He expressed his belief that both sides would wind up negotiating on a number of issues and come to an agreement, arguing the president did not want to negotiate under duress.
Republicans currently held a 53-47 majority in the Senate, leaving them seven votes short of the 60 needed to advance a funding bill. Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, had pushed to include an extension of Covid-era healthcare premium subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. Republicans refused, citing spending concerns.
The exchange was the latest in a series of contentious moments between Phillip and Jennings on NewsNight. The conservative pundit, a former staffer for President George W. Bush who has embraced MAGA politics in recent years, regularly appears on the program to represent right-wing perspectives.
In a separate interview with journalist Kara Swisher on the Pivot podcast in August, Phillip acknowledged that some viewers dislike Jennings for his views but defended his presence on her show. She explained that Jennings represents perspectives that are pretty widely shared, even if many people find them unfounded.
Phillip noted that she sometimes steps in when Jennings or other guests appear to be playing to social media users instead of engaging in meaningful debate. She indicated that if she detects someone is trying to create a viral moment or misrepresent what is being said, she will stop it. She added that Jennings is often involved in those moments when she intervenes.
The October 7 segment drew praise from viewers on social media, with many applauding Phillip for her live fact-checking of Jennings. One viewer commented under a clip of the interaction that it was nice work and called it real-time fact-checking.
Another viewer criticized the network itself, questioning where CNN finds people who look at the camera and lie. A third viewer commended Phillip, suggesting she is one of the mainstream anchors who have figured out that Republican guests lie regularly.
The moment highlighted ongoing tensions over media coverage of Trump’s presidency and the challenges news outlets face in balancing diverse political perspectives while maintaining factual accuracy. Phillip’s approach of immediately correcting misrepresentations while allowing conservative voices on her panel reflects the delicate balance cable news networks attempt to strike in politically divided times.
