Republican Strategist Goes Quiet on CNN When Asked About Trump’s Conspiracy

A CNN panel got extremely heated on Wednesday night as Republican strategist Scott Jennings was asked if he believed Donald Trump’s debate comments about Haitians eating pets were rooted in racism.

Jennings, a contributor to the network and former special assistant to George W. Bush, was pressed about the issue on NewsNight With Abby Phillip after the former president and other GOP figures boosted the claim about cats, dogs, and geese being consumed in Springfield, Ohio. Local authorities say there’s no evidence to support the outlandish rumors.

“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.”

Read more at The Daily Beast.