Pro-Trump CNN commentator Scott Jennings cautioned President Donald Trump that he could face a “tsunami” of investigations should Democrats win control of Congress in November, urging the president to “be ready to be fully transparent” while conceding that ventures such as Trump’s memecoin leave him “uncomfortable.”
Jennings made the comments during an appearance on CNN’s NewsNight, where host Abby Phillip laid out a new promotion connected to the president’s $TRUMP memecoin. The offer gives the coin’s largest holders access to another presidential gala, bringing back the ethics questions that followed similar events last year.
Under the promotion, the top 185 investors on a time-weighted leaderboard will earn a seat at a Nov. 22 dinner at Trump National near Washington, D.C. The top 29 will receive VIP access, and the four highest-ranked holders will be given 18-karat Trump-branded gold watches. Organizers stated on the event website that there will be no private meet-and-greet with the president and that Trump will not accept any gifts.
Phillip nonetheless noted that Senate Democrats had blasted the event as a “grift,” then asked Jennings if he wanted to “explain.”
Jennings said he did not, explaining that he knew little about the arrangement beyond press coverage. He said his assumption was that private arrangements involving the president are cleared by the White House counsel, and that he would rely on their judgment.
He then offered some advice.
“My other advice is that all of these arrangements, whether it’s this one or anything else, you really, really have to dot all your I’s, cross all your T’s and anticipate that every single bit of this is going to be investigated, should you lose control of either chamber,” Jennings said. “And you have to be ready to be fully transparent about that when that day comes.”
“I don’t know what the future holds. I’m not in the prediction business, but on arrangements like this, I think they need to be prepared for a tsunami of investigatory activity,” he added.
Phillip pushed further, accusing Trump of “effectively” promoting a “scam coin” and pointing to the large profits the president has made from it.
“You’re not a lawyer, so I’m not asking you if it’s legal — is it right or is it wrong?” she asked.
Jennings answered candidly.
“Yeah, I’ll be perfectly honest, these kinds of things make me uncomfortable because I don’t like the idea of his name, while he’s the president, being used for things, you know, where people could get hurt,” he said. “I mean, let’s be honest. And something like this, people could get hurt.”
He went on to note that the White House has legal guidance on the matter.
“So that makes me uncomfortable. At the same time. You know, you do have a phalanx of lawyers there that give you advice on what you can and can’t do,” Jennings said.
Phillip was unconvinced.
“I don’t think they care,” she said. “Because why would they do this four weeks before a midterm election? They must really not care.”
