CNN panelist dares Scott Jennings to perform Musk salute on live TV

CNN political analyst Scott Jennings and Washington Post columnist Catherine Rampell got into a heated debate on Monday over billionaire Elon Musk’s widely-debated gesture during an inaugural event for President Trump last week.

“I don’t understand why this guy keeps getting the benefit of the doubt, whether or not he believes this stuff, personally,” Rampell said while appearing on CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip.

“We’ve moved on from Trump derangement syndrome to Elon derangement syndrome,” Jennings quipped in response. “So, he has a long record of supporting the Jewish people, number one. Number two, anybody who is asserting this thing he did on the stage the other day was a Sieg Heil, which I just heard you say, you know, lawyer up maybe because, [it is an] absolute ridiculous thing to say.”

Rampell then dared Jennings to “do it on TV right now.” 

“Why don’t you do it on TV right now if you think it’s so, so banal,” she insisted before the two panelists began talking over one another

“This salute trutherism is outrageous,” Jennings later scoffed.

“So do it right now on TV,” the columnist insisted again.

“This is the biggest conspiracy theory,” Jennings pushed back.

“Do it right now on TV. If you think it’s normal, if you think it’s a normal way to greet people, do it right now on TV,” Rampell pressed him. “Why won’t you?”

Monday night’s exchange was first highlighted by Mediate.

Anchor Abby Phillip attempted to redirect the conversation and said Jennings was “trying to defend, for whatever reason, the Sieg Heil.”

Jennings then dared other panelists to “say Republicans are Nazis, go ahead say it.”

“I can’t believe you are defending this,” Rampell exclaimed.

Musk’s hand gesture came during a celebration of President Trump’s inauguration in Washington, D.C., last week and sparked a debate about the intention behind it.

Musk has denied allegations that he was performing a Nazi salute, saying those making the comparison were using “dirty tricks” to tear him down.