Trump’s latest ego stunt had CNN panelists in stitches Thursday night.
Scott Jennings tried to defend the president’s demand for $16B in infrastructure funding in exchange for renaming airports and train stations after himself. Even fellow Republicans on the panel struggled to take it seriously.
“Here’s my argument,” Jennings said, almost desperately, “you could not possibly trust, if you were Donald Trump, knowing everything you’ve been through, you could not possibly trust the posterity somebody doing you right, knowing full well they’re going to do you dirty!”
The comment didn’t land. Mediaite founder Dan Abrams couldn’t hide his disbelief. “I can’t believe you’re actually defending this one. I mean, I can’t believe this is real,” he said, laughing.
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Abrams then turned to Deja Foxx, the 25-year-old activist dubbed “the next AOC,” and said, “I mean, I agree with you. I thought this was a joke.”
Democratic activist Deja Foxx countered sharply, “To the people who come after the generations like mine, if he leaves a poor reflection, if he leaves a poor legacy, that’s his own doing.”
Jennings pressed on, asking, “What’s wrong with him demanding certain things in exchange for naming it after him?”
“You don’t think that’s kind of bonkers?” Abrams shot back, as the panel erupted. Host Abby Phillip added, “That’s absolutely wild.” Jennings, flustered, tried again: “He’s got to take care of himself.”
“See, if left to people like Dan, he would never get anything!” Jennings barked. The panel barely contained its laughter. Phillip shot back, “You don’t get a participation trophy for being the president of the United States.”
This is far from the first time Trump has leveraged federal funding for personal vanity. The 79-year-old president has recently been obsessed with his legacy, pushing to rebrand Washington, D.C., in his own image. Reports say he wants to rename Washington-Dulles International Airport and Penn Station in New York City after himself.
Throughout the panel, it was clear that even conservative voices had trouble defending the logic of Trump’s demand. His focus on monuments, naming rights, and legacy seems to dominate his attention more than policy, and as CNN’s discussion made clear, this obsession does not translate well outside the MAGA bubble.
Featured image via YouTube screengrab
