Anyone who watched the clip Dave Rubin shared would recognize the moment for what it is: a mainstream pundit trying to weaponize poll numbers to condemn tough immigration enforcement while a Republican strategist calmly calls out the sloppy arithmetic. Scott Jennings’ private-message take and his on-air back-and-forth with Abby Phillip cut through the performative outrage that passes for serious reporting on CNN.
Abby Phillip leaned on CNN polling to argue that a majority of Americans believe the deportation process has been “mostly unfair,” presenting the numbers as proof that the public has turned against enforcement. That poll, and the way it was framed on her show, has been widely circulated by left-leaning outlets as definitive evidence the country rejects the administration’s approach.
Jennings didn’t mince words — he pointed out that the arithmetic and the framing didn’t support the sweeping conclusion being offered, reminding viewers that when you break down the numbers the issue looks much closer to a 50-50 split than the anchors implied. His point was not to deny disagreement over tactics, but to call out journalistic grandstanding that pretends complex survey results are simple moral verdicts.
That disconnect matters because the polling landscape on immigration is famously sensitive to wording. When questions specify deporting violent criminals, support spikes; when they describe long-time workers or family members being swept up, opposition rises. Responsible reporting would note those distinctions instead of cherry-picking the most incendiary soundbite to stoke partisan fury.
Across multiple reputable surveys there is a clear pattern conservatives have long argued: Americans back strong enforcement when it targets dangerous criminals and threats, but recoil at the idea of mass sweeps or deportations of people with deep community ties. That nuance is why Jennings’ pushback was not only accurate but necessary — it reminds the public that policy questions deserve sober analysis, not cable-news sermonizing.
CNN’s reflexive moralizing and the way anchors shut down dissenting voices reveals why so many viewers have lost trust in legacy outlets. When a Republican like Jennings can be portrayed as the outlier simply for demanding honest math, you see how media elites try to shape, not reflect, public opinion. Dave Rubin amplifying the DM clip did conservatives a service by exposing that dynamic to a broader audience.
The takeaway for patriots is clear: defend the rule of law and secure borders, but demand honest reporting and proper debate about tactics and due process. If conservatives want durable victories they must win the argument over facts and framing, not just complain after the cameras go off — and they should keep pressing mainstream outlets to stop turning complex public-opinion data into partisan theatre.
