Salem Radio Network host Scott Jennings reportedly set off a heated exchange on CNN Tuesday after taking a jab at Minnesota Democrats for what he described as excessive political pandering to the state’s Somali community, zeroing in on Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan’s recent appearance wearing a hijab during a community visit.
Flanagan praised Minnesota’s Somali population in a video posted last week by Somali TV of Minnesota. During the visit to a Minneapolis-area market, Flanagan wore a hijab, a head covering worn by some Muslim women. Jennings, appearing on CNN NewsNight, questioned the optics of the move and suggested Democrats in the state have gone out of their way to cater to a specific voting bloc.
“You gotta admit, though, the catering to the Somali community that goes on by the Democrats in Minnesota is a little weird, is it not?” Jennings asked. His comment prompted an immediate response from Jamal Simmons, a former aide to Vice President Kamala Harris, who tried to redirect the conversation by citing his own recent visit to the state.
Before Simmons could finish, Jennings pressed further, criticizing what he saw as performative politics. “They got the lieutenant governor up there dressed like The Handmaid’s Tale,” Jennings said, referencing the dystopian novel by Margaret Atwood that depicts a theocratic society. Simmons cut him off, calling the remark “out of line.”
The exchange quickly escalated, drawing in CNN NewsNight host Abby Phillip. When Jennings attempted to argue that Democrats routinely place Somali voters at the center of state politics, Phillip intervened, accusing him of making an inappropriate comparison. She argued that similar comments about other religious communities would not be tolerated and suggested Jennings was crossing a line.
Jennings pushed back, clarifying that his criticism was aimed at Democratic politicians, not Somali residents themselves. He argued that it was Democrats who had elevated the Somali diaspora in Minneapolis to an outsized role in party politics. Phillip accused Jennings of denigrating religious practices, saying his Handmaid’s Tale reference was offensive and unfair.
“You’re describing the type of dress as The Handmaid’s Tale, and you’re doing that to denigrate the religion of the people,” Phillip said, adding that such language would not be acceptable if directed at another group.
Jennings rejected that characterization, reiterating that his point was political, not religious. He argued that Democrats have made the Somali community central to their political strategy despite it representing a relatively small share of the state’s population. Jennings also pointed to ongoing concerns about fraud in Minnesota, saying that investigations into those issues have been dismissed by Democrats as politically motivated.
The debate touched on broader controversies in the state. In a statement released Nov. 30, Minnesota state employees accused Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of engaging in systemic retaliation against whistleblowers who raised alarms about large-scale fraud schemes. Federal officials have since estimated the total fraud could reach at least $9 billion.
Adding to the controversy, the Treasury Department has been investigating allegations that some of the stolen funds may have been funneled to Al-Shabaab, a radical Islamic terrorist group based in East Africa.
What began as a discussion about cultural outreach quickly turned into a wider argument over identity politics, accountability, and the role of media in policing political speech. The on-air clash highlighted the growing tension between conservative commentators calling out Democratic messaging and a media establishment quick to label such criticism as unacceptable.
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