Conservative CNN Commentator Considers Senate Run, Says He Will Enter Race If President Trump Wishes

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Conservative CNN commentator Scott Jennings is considering a run for U.S. Senate to replace retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

According to reports, Jennings is waiting for the nod from President Trump to enter the race.

“If the president wants me, I’ll run,” Jennings said at an afterparty following Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, according to the New York Post.

“If he wants somebody else, I’ll support that candidate,” he added, according to the outlet.

From the New York Post:

A well-connected GOP operative told The Post that Jennings’ interest in running for Senate was “certainly not fake.”

Jennings, 47, who did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment, has emerged as a popular commentator for his frequent appearances on CNN’s “News Night With Abby Phillip” over the past year.

His clashes with liberal pundits on the show and game defenses of Trump administration policies have earned him gushing praise from Republicans and Democrats alike.

Last month, Jennings received a big pay raise and a new contract at CNN, even though the network declined to let him headline his own show.

“Despite the current media narrative on Trump’s first 100 days, this is EXACTLY what his supporters voted for — I actually talked to them!” Jennings said.

WATCH:

Trump brought Jennings to the stage at his Michigan rally celebrating the first 100 days of his second term.

“Michigan, we were flying here today and there were so many farms. I said ‘I need to get a farm, because when you own as many libs as I do you need a place to put them all!” Jennings said.

WATCH:

Fox News reports:

Currently, Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., and former Kentucky Attorney General David Cameron are in the race for the seat on the Republican side. There has also been speculation that Kentucky businessman Nate Morris, a close ally of Vice President JD Vance, will hop into the race.

In the Democratic primary, Kentucky House Minority Leader Pamela Stevenson is in the race. Trump won the state by a wide margin in November and it is generally considered a red state, with the notable exception of Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear.

The 83-year-old McConnell, who has regularly butted heads with the president despite also receiving high praise from Trump, said in February he would not run for re-election after being in the seat since the 1980s.

As for Jennings, who was initially floated as a potential pick for the White House press secretary role before Karoline Leavitt was chosen, he was formerly a top advisor to McConnell and served in the George W. Bush administration. He has also advised several other campaigns and is the founding partner of RunSwitch, which is advertised as “Kentucky’s largest PR and public affairs firm.”



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