The Axe Files with David Axelrod · The Institute of Politics & CNN Podcasts

Ep. 604 — Scott Jennings

·1 hr 5 min·6 clips

Scott Jennings describes witnessing his stepfather hit his mother over the head with a heavy object as a child.

David Axelrod hosts his CNN colleague and friend, Scott Jennings, a conservative commentator whose recent pro-Trump rhetoric has made him a polarizing figure. Axelrod aims to move beyond the political caricature and explore Jennings's personal history and beliefs. The conversation centers on Jennings's upbringing in the small, coal-dependent town of Dawson Springs, Kentucky, which was largely destroyed by tornadoes in 2021. Jennings describes his family's working-class roots, with a father who was a union factory worker and a stepmother who cleaned houses and worked overnight shifts. He recounts the traumatic experience of witnessing his mother being violently assaulted by an alcoholic stepfather as a child. Jennings explains how his political journey began in a family of New Deal Democrats, shifting to Republicanism during the 1994 Gingrich Revolution. A McConnell scholarship to the University of Louisville, facilitated by Senator Mitch McConnell, set him on a path from local radio journalism to presidential politics. He worked on George W. Bush's 2000 campaign, served in the Bush White House under Karl Rove, and later supported Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush. Jennings shares his father's early prediction of Donald Trump's rise, which he initially dismissed while criticizing Trump's disregard for constitutional norms in 2016. He now argues Trump successfully channeled widespread anger at political institutions and economic displacement, particularly in communities like his hometown. Jennings reflects that the debate over climate policy often overlooks the existential threat to towns built on industries like coal, fueling cultural and political resentment. A surprising insight is Jennings's admission that his fierce work ethic and focus on providing for his four sons is directly modeled on his parents' sacrifices. He offers a nuanced defense of Mitch McConnell's controversial Supreme Court maneuvers, framing them as ruthless but rule-bound institutional plays. Jennings reveals that his firsthand experience with the inaccurate media caricatures of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney made him deeply skeptical of similar narratives about other politicians. The episode highlights the profound personal impact of the Dawson Springs tornadoes, which destroyed nearly every home he had lived in. Axelrod and Jennings bond over their shared experiences of dysfunctional childhoods and their deep gratitude for their own families. The tone is conversational, reflective, and personal, prioritizing biography and mutual respect over heated debate. Listeners interested in the human stories behind political polarization, or the socioeconomic forces shaping modern conservatism, will find this compelling. Those seeking a purely policy-focused debate or further condemnation of Trump may find the introspective and friendly tone less engaging.

As heard by us

A patient conversation that favors biography over caricature.

Axelrod uses the hour to pull Scott Jennings out of the political label that usually follows him. He starts with the odd fact of their friendship, then lets the conversation drift back to Jennings's path from a country music station in Louisville and a University of Louisville…

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Why you'd press play

For when you want the backstory behind a pundit who feels familiar on sight.

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