‘If You’ll Let Me Answer’: Scott Jennings Spars With Panelists As He Defends Deporting ‘Radical’ College Activist

CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings sparred with his fellow panelists Monday night as he defended President Donald Trump’s administration for detaining a noncitizen on a student visa who supported chaotic anti-Israel protests at Columbia University.

Mahmoud Khalil, who led anti-Israel protests and encampments on campus, was set to be deported over his actions that reportedly “aligned with Hamas, a designated terrorist organization,” though a Manhattan judge ruled Monday that he is not to be deported “unless and until a Court orders otherwise.” Jennings argued that the Trump administration has reasonable grounds to deport Khalil based on his actions on Columbia University’s campus.

“He’s a resident alien, he can be deported under U.S. law if the Secretary of State has any reasonable ground to believe he would have a potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequence. And you mentioned the student organization, the student organization, no, let me finish,” Jennings said as CNN host Abby Phillip began to interrupt.

“Before you move on, because I think that’s a really important point. That’s the statute that they’re using,” Phillip said. “Have you seen any evidence to suggest that there is a serious reason to believe that this student is going to be a threat to national security in our country?”

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Jennings said he had witnessed the “abomination” that took place at Columbia University in April 2024, where students occupied a building and forced Jewish students to flee campus for their own safety.