CNN’s Scott Jennings lost his temper during a heated debate with former Biden advisor Neera Tanden as he was criticizing recent attacks on Tesla cars and dealerships—actions linked to owner Elon Musk’s work for President Trump—when Tanden accused him of hypocrisy, pointing to the January 6 riots at the Capitol. “You’re saying that when a Tesla dealership is attacked, it’s unacceptable, but when the halls of Congress are targeted, we should pardon those responsible. Is that really your position?” Tanden asked.
When a frustrated Jennings replied by asking to “educate” Tanden on his position regarding the Capitol riots, Tandon responded: “You don’t need to patronize me.” CNN host John Berman then intervened as the discussion heated up. “I’m just asking you a question. I’m sorry you’re getting emotional,” Tandon said. That led Jennings to fire back: “I’m sorry you’re a condescending person who hasn’t been paying attention to what I do here. I didn’t support what happened on January 6… I don’t support the pardons.”
Jennings went back to defending Musk, saying the attacks against him and Tesla are “outrageous” and describing them as “domestic terrorism.” He also said: “These people that were doing this need to be found, put in jail and made an example of.” Tandon countered by saying that “anyone who commits violence against Tesla or Congress – or anyone else – should be put in jail,” adding: “But that should not stifle dissent or opposition to Elon Musk. People are legitimately upset…” — as Jennings questioned her use of the word “legitimately.”
?UNREAL: After Scott Jennings BLASTS Democrats for “systematic terrorism” against Elon and Tesla —
— Neera Tandon answers with “people are legitimately upset” and Josh Rogin jokes that Teslas would just “fall apart” on their own anyway.
JENNINGS: “What’s going on with a guy… pic.twitter.com/C7d4Y9ru5j
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) March 19, 2025
The clash between pundits came after a row of Teslas was set on fire in Las Vegas, marking the latest attack on the electric vehicle company. Similarly, the FBI in Kansas City announced on Tuesday that they are investigating an incident at a local Tesla dealership. These recent events add to a string of assaults on Tesla vehicles, dealerships, and charging stations across the country.
In 2021, Tanden was selected by then-President Joe Biden to head the Office of Management and Budget. However, her nomination was withdrawn after facing opposition from key Democratic and Republican senators due to her controversial tweets. Tanden had previously labeled Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell as “Voldemort” and suggested that Senator Susan Collins of Maine should be “haunted” for her questioning of Christine Blasey Ford, the accuser of Brett Kavanaugh. She also described Alabama senate candidate Roy Moore as “a child molester,” Ted Cruz as “a vampire,” and Tom Cotton as “a fraud.”
