Overview
- The clash occurred on CNN's NewsNight during a panel about alleged pandemic-relief fraud tied to some members of Minnesota's Somali community.
- Scott Jennings said, "They got the lieutenant governor up there dressed like The Handmaid’s Tale," referring to Peggy Flanagan’s recent appearance in a headscarf.
- Host Abby Phillip cut in to say the remark denigrated a religion and argued such a comment would not be acceptable if directed at Orthodox Jews in Brooklyn.
- Other panelists called the comment out of line as Jennings pushed back, describing Flanagan as a white liberal woman and accusing Democrats of catering to Somalis.
- Flanagan, a self-described Catholic, wore a headscarf during a visit highlighted by Somali media last week, and the broader discussion referenced ongoing federal fraud investigations in Minnesota.