During a tense segment on CNN, Scott Jennings cut through the noise with a blunt, much-needed reminder about the stakes involved in the arrest of Judge Dugan, who is accused of obstructing immigration enforcement.
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The discussion kicked off with Abby Phillip questioning the facts of the case, noting, “To me, there are some holes, especially in this idea that she tried to get him out when it seems like they went out a public door and were seen by the very people who then arrested him.”
There’s no real dispute that Dugan tried to help the illegal immigrant evade capture. Even another CNN panel admitted this. That didn’t stop former federal prosecutor Gene Rossi from trying to frame Judge Dugan’s actions more sympathetically. “What you have here is a judge who’s just incredibly angry,” Rossi said. “That DEA agents, ICE agents, Customs and Border Protection, deportation officers are hovering around like bees for a man they’re trying to arrest. It’s anger on steroids.”
Related: CNN Panel Backs Arrest of Judges Who Broke The Law
However, even Rossi couldn’t completely defend Dugan’s actions. Reflecting on his time as a prosecutor, Rossi explained that the judge’s behavior raised serious red flags. “The thing that really bothers me about the judge, and I think this is a big mess, is that she adjourned the case without telling the prosecutor and without telling the victims,” he said. “Whether there’s probable cause or beyond a reasonable doubt could convict her, that to me shows that she was willfully trying to hide that defendant from being arrested.”
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Phillip pressed for clarification, asking why adjourning the case indicated concealment. Rossi replied bluntly, “It points towards—of course it is […] that points towards her trying to conceal and obstruct the arrest of this individual.”
Still, Rossi hedged, saying that while he would not have pursued the case during his tenure, he criticized the Justice Department for allegedly turning the situation into a “spectacle.” He claimed, “They waited a whole week to paper this case,” adding, “you have the right to get an arrest warrant and you have the right to get a summons, and that they got arrest warrant for a judge shows that they wanted to make this a spectacle.” Rossi noted that when he indicted a state prosecutor, he issued a summons instead to avoid public fanfare.
That’s when Scott Jennings stepped in and dropped the hammer.
“Why wouldn’t you want to make a spectacle of it?” Jennings asked, cutting to the heart of the matter. “The fact of the matter is there are liberal Democrat elected officials, not all judges, some are mayors and others, all over this country who have said repeatedly since Donald Trump became the president that they would like to obstruct his principles and his program when it comes to deporting illegal immigrants.”
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Jennings continued, laying it out in simple terms. “Here, you have this person, if these facts are proven true, obviously, that’s exactly what she was trying to do here. […] The spectacle is important because a message has to be sent to everybody else.”
He concluded with a clear call for accountability: “We are not going to put up—you’ve been elected by people to uphold the law and some of the laws that have been most flagrantly violated in this country are immigration laws. You’ve got to get on board with upholding all the laws, not just the ones you like.”
🚨🔥Scott Jennings lights up CNN panelist over arrest of Judge Dugan: “A message has to be sent.”
The debate raged as Fmr. Federal Prosecutor Gene Rossi was incensed over the “spectacle” of arresting a sitting judge.
JENNINGS: “Why wouldn’t you want to make a spectacle of it? I… pic.twitter.com/AEDFoNUoQf
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) April 26, 2025
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