CNN commentator Scott Jennings’ reaction to a fellow panelist’s bizarre justification for President Joe Biden’s sweeping pardon of his son, Hunter, was the viral moment conservatives didn’t know they needed.
As panelist Leigh McGowan claimed—with a straight face—that Biden’s unprecedented move might have been driven by fear of President-elect Donald Trump’s alleged talk of “firing squads,” Jennings’ epic eye roll was worth a thousand words, all of them dripping with disbelief.
Let’s set the stage. McGowan, clearly scrambling to defend the indefensible, started by parroting the tired talking point that Hunter’s legal troubles were the result of a “political witch hunt.” That’s standard fare for the Left these days, but it wasn’t landing. When pressed by host Abby Phillip on whether the Biden administration flat-out lied about not planning to pardon Hunter, McGowan doubled down, pivoting to an even more absurd argument: Biden had to pardon his son because Trump, she claimed, was talking about rounding up his enemies and deploying firing squads. Yes, firing squads.
Cue Jennings, who responded with an eye roll so dramatic it could have won an Oscar. His reaction perfectly encapsulated what everyone not living in an alternate reality was thinking: Seriously? This is the defense you’re going with?
The sheer absurdity of McGowan’s argument lit up social media, with Jennings’ incredulous expression turning into instant meme gold. And can you blame him? Even CNN’s famously Left-leaning panels must find it hard to keep a straight face when their own contributors leap this far off the rhetorical cliff.
Jennings perfectly captures how we all feel listening to Leigh McGowan. pic.twitter.com/xsxpLx1JrT
— The Right Answer (@theright_answer) December 3, 2024
Let’s unpack McGowan’s wild claim. Suggesting that Biden pardoned Hunter because Trump’s rhetoric poses a physical threat is a stretch so ridiculous it could qualify for Cirque du Soleil. The pardon wasn’t about safety—it was about covering political damage, plain and simple. Hunter Biden, under investigation for years, admitted guilt on multiple fronts, from tax evasion to illegal gun possession. These weren’t trumped-up charges. They were real crimes.
Yet Biden, who publicly promised dozens of times not to pardon his son, did exactly that. The excuse? Supposedly, his own Justice Department was out to get him. It’s a narrative so flimsy it wouldn’t hold up under the softest scrutiny.
McGowan’s “firing squads” comment is emblematic of the Left’s desperation to redirect blame when they’re caught red-handed. Can’t defend Hunter’s shady behavior? Blame Trump! Can’t explain Biden’s blatant hypocrisy? Make up a bogeyman scenario! And while you’re at it, toss in some hyperbolic fear-mongering to make it seem like Biden’s actions were somehow noble. It’s a page right out of the progressive playbook: when in doubt, accuse the other side of planning dystopian atrocities.
NEW: CNN panel member Leigh McGowan warns Biden’s pardon is necessary because Trump is considering “firing squads.”
Look at Scott Jennings’ face in reaction – lmao.
“The circumstances have changed. We now have a president coming into office who’s talking about firing squads.”… pic.twitter.com/vCuwJZZse5
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) December 3, 2024
But Americans aren’t buying it. The pardon isn’t about justice or fear for Hunter’s safety—it’s about protecting the Biden family brand. After years of hammering Trump as corrupt, the Left is now scrambling to defend actions that are as swampy as anything they accused their opponents of doing. Hunter’s pardon didn’t just confirm Biden’s hypocrisy; it obliterated any remaining moral high ground Democrats had claimed.
So thank you, Scott Jennings, for giving us a reaction as honest as it was hilarious. Your viral eye roll says it all: the Left’s excuses are not just unbelievable—they’re laughable.
