CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings stirred controversy on Monday night by claiming that X is the most "ideologically balanced" social media platform.
Prime Video talk show host Cari Champion immediately objected. She interrupted Jennings mid-sentence, firmly telling him to stop.
"Oh, come on. Scott, stop, stop! It’s too early, I just sat down. I’ve only been here for two minutes. You cannot continue to say – You cannot say that!"
Jennings held his ground, repeating his claim that X is more ideologically balanced than ever.
The heated exchange occurred during a panel discussion about X owner Elon Musk’s recent social media activity. Musk had hinted at possibly buying MSNBC after reports suggested Comcast might sell the network.
For the liberal panelists on CNN NewsNight, Musk’s musings represented a growing right-wing authoritarian influence in America.
"We are in for some tough years ahead," Champion warned, adding concerns about free speech.
"I do not believe that we are not going to be as safe or say what we want to. I don’t think free speech is going to be as free."
Jennings addressed broader fears about media outlets being used for propaganda. He suggested this is already happening in the U.S.
"Is the concern that certain media outlets would become propaganda arms of political ideologies? I mean, don’t we already have that in this country at large scale?"
He doubled down on his defense of X. "I saw a survey this week – it’s now the most ideologically balanced user platform of any platform."
Champion was unconvinced, demanding Jennings reveal his source.
"You’re going to be embarrassed when I tweet it out after the show," Jennings quipped.
Champion shot back, insisting, "It’s not accurate, and you know it."
CNN’s senior data reporter Harry Enten, however, recently broke down Pew Research numbers supporting Jennings’s claim. Enten revealed that X has nearly equal usage between Democratic and Republican voters. In 2024, 48% of Democratic voters used X, compared to 47% of Republicans. This marked a shift from 2022, when the platform skewed heavily Democratic.
As the debate continued, Jennings argued that the left’s reaction stems from losing control over information platforms.
"Isn’t the issue that the left has gotten so used to controlling almost all institutional information distribution arms in this country that when one little piece of it, whether it’s X or MSNBC or anything else, gets taken away, the panic is so outrageous?"
CNN commentator and former Biden-Harris campaign official Ashley Allison countered his argument.
"I don’t think that’s an accurate assessment when you look at something like Sinclair Broadcasting Group. They’ve purchased most of the local newspapers and television stations and send out conservative-leaning distributed information for anchors to follow."
The discussion remained heated, with each side refusing to give an inch.