Republican strategist opts for awkward silence instead of defending Trump's anti-migrant conspiracy

Former President Donald Trump's false claim about Haitian immigrants abducting and eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, is putting some of his most steadfast defenders in an indefensible position. Scott Jennings, a Republican strategist who once served as a special aide to former President George W. Bush, attempted to put a positive spin on Trump's remarks while appearing on CNN's "NewsNight With Abby Phillip," but quickly fell into silence as his fellow panelists pressed him further.

“I do think it’s a legitimate conversation to have about the societal public safety health impacts any time cities or communities get drastically changed because of our immigration system,” Jennings said. “Whether that’s in Springfield, whether that’s on the border with Mexico, whether that’s New York City, which has had issues. So I don’t think that’s an illegitimate conversation to have.”

The “real question,” Jennings continued, is whether people have those conversations “flippantly” or “seriously.” The question of whether immigrants feasting on cats, dogs and geese is a realistic concern or not has already been answered by local authorities who say there's no evidence to support Trump's claim.

Ana Navarro, another panelist, said that Trump was "amplifying a conspiracy theory that I think you would agree puts a target on the backs of Haitian immigrants and that it is based on racism."

"Would you agree to that?" she asked Jennings.

The former Bush aide did not respond, instead looking dejectedly at the table. An awkward silence followed, punctured only by panelist Nina Turner commenting that the racism is "anti-Black racism, to be more pointed."

Navarro did not accept Jennings' silence.

“Do you think that if there were 20,000 Scandinavians that had been sent to Springfield, they — your people — would be saying that they’re eating cats and dogs and geese?” she pressed.

"I’m not gonna answer for him, for his memes, or anything else," Jennings responded, raising both his hands. When Navarro demanded a yes-or-no response, he refused to oblige. "I'm not going to answer. I don't know! I don't know!" he said, insisting that he doesn't talk to Trump about his thoughts or answer to Navarro. Jennings then tried to shift the conversation to "the real issue" of immigration, but Navarro reeled him back.

"The reason we are going down the rabbit hole is because the man you support is making us go down that rabbit hole,” she said. “The reason we’re not talking about the legitimate issues you have brought up is because he is claiming with no facts that Haitian migrants are eating pets! And that is a dangerous conspiracy theory to be spreading to America.”