Scott Jennings Tells Texas Policy Summit 'Here's Something You Must Understand About the Left,' Reflects on Attack Aimed at Charlie Kirk

Scott Jennings, a commentator affiliated with CNN, used a speaking slot at the Texas Public Policy Foundation Summit to deliver a pointed critique of what he called the ideological posture of the American left and to reflect on an attack he said was intended to silence a conservative voice. Jennings framed his remarks as a basic truth that he said needs to be repeated, opening with the line: “Here’s something that you must understand about the left.”

In a speech published and excerpted by The Gateway Pundit, Jennings outlined a list of beliefs he said the left promotes to the next generation. “They hate success. They hate it when people make it on their own. They hate it when you don’t need them,” he said. He continued by listing, in his view, what is taught on campuses and elsewhere: “That America was founded on racism. That our country is rotten at its core. That capitalism is evil. That hard work is for suckers. That merit is a dirty word. That the nuclear family is oppressive, especially to women. That faith is for idiots and rubes for people who are from Kentucky and Texas,” Jennings said.

Jennings used those observations to explain why, he said, conservative activists such as Charlie Kirk have focused on college campuses. “Is it any wonder that Charlie spent his life on college campuses trying to reach young people? He saw what was happening,” Jennings said. He then moved to comments about an attack linked to that activism and its aftermath, saying: “I think when that shooter pulled the trigger and killed my friend in Utah, he thought he was ending a movement. He thought if he killed Charlie Kirk, he could kill what Charlie stood for. That the rest of us would get the message. That we would heed the warning. Silence yourselves, or we will do it for you. I think that’s what he thought. Certainly, what the people who cheered on the assassination thought. And make no mistake, there were thousands who cheered it on.”

Jennings argued that the intended effect of intimidation and violence had the opposite result. “But in trying to silence one voice, I think they created thousands,” he said. “In trying to end a conversation that day, I think they started millions. And that is the thing we learned about faith and freedom. You can’t kill them. You can try to suppress it, and you can try to silence it. But it always finds a way. Like water finding cracks in a dam.”

The remarks were circulated on social media as well: Jennings posted a short clip with the caption, "Here is something that you *MUST* understand about the left 👇 pic.twitter.com/ZnKciaN2ST." The Gateway Pundit article that reported the speech praised Jennings' performance and suggested that CNN had not given him his own show, calling that oversight “amazing.” That appraisal was presented as the opinion of the Gateway Pundit writer, Mike LaChance.

The Texas Public Policy Foundation, the venue for Jennings' remarks, is a conservative public policy organization that hosts events bringing together commentators, policymakers and activists on the right. Jennings' speech touched on broader debates about political rhetoric, campus culture, and the role of activism in shaping the beliefs of younger Americans. His comments tied themes of perceived anti-merit ideology and cultural critique to concerns about political violence and the response it can provoke across ideological lines.

Jennings' address is likely to resonate with conservative audiences who view campus and cultural institutions as hostile to traditional American values and who see an attempted suppression of conservative voices as a catalyst for increased activism. Observers on other parts of the political spectrum are likely to read Jennings' remarks as an example of partisan framing of complex social and political phenomena. The exchange highlights ongoing tensions in American political life over speech, safety, and the consequences of violent acts for public discourse.

The Gateway Pundit article concludes with a plug for the author’s contact information and links to more of his work. The reporting presented Jennings’ statements and the outlet’s commentary, without independent confirmation of the broader events referenced in the speech; the comments here are attributed to Jennings and to the Gateway Pundit opinion piece rather than stated as independent fact.