The CNNNewsNight broadcast on Tuesday night wasn’t your average political debate. It became a full-fledged battle over tariffs. A peaceful discussion over Donald Trump’s trade policy swiftly descended into a cacophonous, disorderly television scene.
Sharp words were spoken, voices were raised, and a shoe was used for extra dramatic effect!
Scott Jennings, a conservative pundit who backs Donald Trump, attempted to defend the president’s occasionally shifting tariff strategies, which led to all of this controversy. He faced the ever-dramatic Richard Quest and CNN’s Abby Phillip.
Donald Trump made headlines in April when he announced April 2nd as Liberation Day. He also pledged to impose high tariffs on dozens more nations, some of which would be over 100%. He claimed that these were intended as retaliation against nations that engaged in unfair trade. But when analysts saw that Trump had mistaken trade imbalances for tariffs and that the majority of the levies he mentioned had never materialized, that narrative swiftly collapsed.
Thus, we found ourselves in a roundtable discussion on Tuesday.
Jennings attempted to taunt economists by claiming that a recession was imminent, even as he recalled all of the dire forecasts from April. Bringing a little Back to the Future flavor, he said, “I’d like to build a DeLorean and go back to April.”
Phillip, however, was not going to overlook that.
Scott, what was going on in April? She asked directly, sparking a heated confrontation that quickly gained momentum.
Accordingly, Jennings charged Richard Quest with making a very premature recession prediction. In a strange turn of events, he added that Quest had removed his shoe in order to illustrate his point. And just like that, in the midst of their argument, Quest removed his shoe once more!
Phillip, meanwhile, pressed her questions even more forcefully without missing a beat and remained on subject.
She questioned Jennings about the implementation of Donald Trump’s high tariffs. Jennings, however, attempted to avoid the subject by stating that they varied depending on the nation. Phillip wasn’t going to let him get away with it, though.
Were those tariffs implemented? She asked again.
At last, Jennings acknowledged that not all of them did.
Jennings: Everything needs to be looked at, but I don’t see anything wrong with the president telling the justice department.
Phillip It’s a very remarkable recognition. four years after claiming that the Justice Department has been unfairly used as a weapon.Twitter: https://Ra4rQ9h7ta in
Acyn January 28, 2025 (@Acyn)
Phillip made the following final point as the tension increased and the discussion became louder: It is utterly false to imply that what economists predicted would occur if [Donald] Trump implemented tariffs of 50 and 60 percent. There has never been a recession since those levels never occurred. It’s not that difficult.
Aww!
There was some truth to the yelling, even though that section swiftly devolved into a reality TV reunion and an economic argument.
On August 1st, Donald Trump intends to impose further tariffs on us, some of which could reach 50%. These additional actions could escalate already simmering trade tensions and impact dozens of nations.
Donald Trump initially proposed a number of tariffs, some of which were very high—above 100%—but they never materialized. This was partially due to opposition from other nations and worries about the impact on domestic markets. But now that the deadline is approaching, things might be different. These proposed tariffs have the potential to disrupt supply chains and raise costs if they are approved.
Yes, they could at last test those pessimistic economic forecasts Jennings used to mock.
You stated there will be a recession after taking off your shoes.
On-air, CNN was completely destroyed.
In April, Scott Jennings blasted CNN’s economist Richard Quest for inciting panic by saying that Trump’s tariffs will lead the economy to collapse and enter a recession.Twitter: pic.twitter.com/0qlPBKb3fT
July 31, 2025, M.A. Rothman (@MichaelARothman)
There is still a great deal of disagreement over whether these tariffs will help or hurt the economy, despite all the drama on CNN this past Tuesday. However, one thing is certain: this debate will not end very soon.
And people’s tempers aren’t getting any better, judging from the panel debate!
NEXT UP: Is Donald Trump’s 10% Tariff Threat on BRICS Countries a Bluff or Could It Cause Global Economic Chaos?
