Jennings argued in defense of deporting the student, saying in his opinion, the student's viewpoints "jeopardize the security of the United States"
Scott Jennings spars with CNN panel over Palestinian activist who wants to 'eradicate Western civilization'
CNN political analyst Scott Jennings sparred his fellow panelists over the deportation of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil.
Scott Jennings got into a heated back-and-forth with his fellow panelists on "CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip" over the deportation of a Palestinian immigrant activist, on Monday night.
Mahmoud Khalil, who students claim was a leader of protests and encampments on the Columbia University campus in New York City for months, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on Saturday, according to Fox News sources.
ICE agents told Khalil that they were acting on a State Department order to revoke his green card and student visa, according to Khalil's attorney, Amy E. Greer of Dratel & Lewis. She released a statement alleging that ICE agents wrongfully arrested Khalil.
CNN's Abby Phillip asked Jennings if he had seen "any evidence to suggest that there is actually a serious reason to believe that this student is going to be a threat to national security" in the U.S.
Mahmoud Khalil was taken into custody at his university-owned apartment on the city’s Upper West Side on Saturday. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey)
Jennings stared back at Philip with wide eyes as she asked her question, eventually being cut off multiple times as he tried to respond.
"I certainly watched the abomination that’s gone on at Columbia and Barnard and other places. And I will just tell you — " Jennings said before being interrupted by Phillip.
"Okay, so a threat to national security?" Phillip asked.
As Jennings attempted to answer her question for the second time, he was again interrupted by Phillip.
"I mean, I’m not going to let you move on because this is the problem," interjected Phillip as Jennings was attempting to respond to her.
The conservative-leaning CNN contributor quipped back, saying, "I’ll tell you why it’s a threat to national security if you’ll let me answer you."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio reacted to the arrest and issued a dire warning to anyone supporting the Hamas terror group. "We will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported," Rubio wrote in a post on X. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)
After another brief back-and-forth between Jennings and Phillip, Jennings began laying out why he believed Khalil should be deported.
"His organization says, ‘We are dedicated to fighting for the total eradication of Western civilization,’" Jennings said, adding, "He’s not a citizen. He doesn’t need to be here."
"The View" co-host Ana Navarro then jumped into the conversation, questioning whether deporting the student was meant to dissuade other students from protesting.
"In my — in my view, it was a failure by Columbia University. They could have expelled him. They could have banned him from campus, and they should have, if he violated their policy. Look, every student has a right to attend school without fear of intimidation, right? But what we are doing here with this — the message that this is sending is a message to scare anybody from protesting," claimed Navarro.
Phillip immediately pivoted back to grilling Jennings after Navarro got her question out.
"And Scott, you just described him having viewpoints that you disagree with. Again, is that enough to have someone lose their rights in this country?" Phillip asked Jennings.
"He has viewpoints that, in my opinion, jeopardize the security of the United States," Jennings replied.
His response sparked another argument between the panelists, making it difficult for him to extrapolate his point.
"He is — he is obviously — obviously a radical who is here to foment — " Jennings attempted to argue his point before being cut off again.
Columbia University in New York City has been a hotbed for anti-Israel protests over the last year as the war between Israel and Hamas continues to drag on. (REUTERS/David Dee Delgado)
Former TMZ producer Van Lathan interrupted Jennings before he could finish, saying, "No, he’s not a radical at all."
Jennings continued to argue his point with the fuming panel as they attempted to talk over one another.
"You're saying ‘eradicate Western civilization’ doesn't make you a radical?" asked Jennings.
Phillip answered Jennings' question with a question of her own, asking, "Scott, has he acted in any way that is violence against the United States government?"
"I think these — I think these protests and the violence they have fomented, and the intimidation and fear against the Jewish kids on these campuses, is absolutely an act of insurrection against the United States," Jennings replied.
Thirteen universities across the United States received "F" grades in the 2025 Campus Antisemitism Report Card released in early March by the Anti-Defamation League.
Fox News Digital's Stepheny Price, Alexis McAdams, and Greg Norman contributed to this report.
