Iraq War Veteran Paul Rieckhoff Clashes With Scott Jennings on CNN: ‘Have You Served in Uniform?’
CNN senior political contributor Scott Jennings got into a verbal brawl with Iraq War veteran Paul Rieckhoff on Monday over who was more of an expert on President-elect Donald Trump’s vow to send troops to the southern border.
Reacting to Trump’s plan to declare a national emergency over the southern border crisis, Rieckhoff – the founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America – said:
It’s a guardrail moment for America. There’s nothing more sacred or more serious that you can ask an American service member to do than deploy opposite American civilians. It is really a sacred and terrifying prospect for anybody who’s been in uniform. I’ve been to combat. You could send me to Iraq, but to send me across from American protesters in situations like we’ve seen across America is wrought with a tremendous burden you’re going to put on men and women in uniform. So it has to be approached with the utmost seriousness, and obviously there’s no General Milley there now to stop a deployment like this, so we’ll find out if the secretary of defense is confirmed and how the senior leadership in the joint chiefs respond to it, but I think every American should be extremely cautious about anybody who says they want to deploy American troops on U.S. soil.
Jennings responded, “Number one, they’re not being deployed against American citizens. They’re being deployed against the illegal immigration population, which, by the way, I think most people would agree is a national emergency, a national security emergency. Number two, for years we’ve been deploying the National Guard to the border.”
“In small numbers. This is a very different thing. You can’t deploy them to–” protested Rieckhoff, prompting Jennings to snap, “You got to make your speech.”
Rieckhoff questioned, “Is it a debate with you, or am I answering questions with the host? Because every time I come on, you want to sidetrack and take me into your talking points.”
“By all means. Have at it, my friend,” mocked Jennings. “You’re the expert. Have at it.”
“I’m no expert; I’m just a concerned American,” insisted Rieckhoff, to which Jennings replied, “Well, you act like one.”
Rieckhoff then shot back, “Have you served in uniform?”
“I have served as a United States citizen and have read the newspaper where we have sent National Guard,” Jennings responded.
Rieckhoff concluded, “Well, I think, in this case, I might have a bit of experience that you don’t.”
Watch above via CNN.
