As background, Rogin was upset about the offer, claiming it was “terrorizing” them rather than treating them “humanely,” despite the fact that it was a very generous offer in which the CIA employees are granted eight months of paid leave in exchange for leaving the agency. It is meant to entice those who disagree with President Trump.
Rogin, launching a broadside at Jennings to start the fight that led to Rogin trying to shout down Jennings, declared that Trump’s early days in office have been “so crazy” and “so illegal.” As he put it, “It’s harder to combat because it’s so crazy and so fast and so illegal. But there’s one point that Scott made that I really have to take issue with.”
Continuing, he declared, “That we’re treating these federal workers humanely because, you know, if you talk to any of them, and I’ve talked to hundreds of them over the last few weeks, hundreds, and I know hundreds of them, and I’ve known thousands of them over the course of my time living in D.C., and what you fail to understand is that everyone who has a job in the federal government has an opinion.”
He then said, cutting off Jennings, who was trying to respond, that political matters should not be considered when dealing with federal employees and whether to get rid of them. He said, “Everyone has a view. What we grant them is the respect of knowing that they can do their jobs and put their political opinions aside.”
He then said, continuing to repeatedly shout down and cut off Jennings, “Does it happen in every single case? But the vast majority pride themselves in serving America. And when you go in and you say you’re either with Trump or get out, you’re the one politicizing the federal government, not the people inside the federal government.”
Still not done with his angry screed while refusing to let Jennings respond to his angry attacks, Rogin then declared that the Democrats will try to clean Republicans out of the bureaucracy, saying, “And what happens, what happens, Scott, when a Democrat takes over and goes into every agency and says, okay, all the Republicans, out.”
Jennings wasn’t having it. Shutting Rogin’s furious screed down with a brilliant retort, Jennings noted that Democrats would never agree to shrink the government and that the CIA personnel are getting an opportunity to leave voluntarily. He said, “A. No Democrat’s going to shrink the government. And B. They’re not forcing anyone out. These are voluntary buyouts. They’re voluntary. And the CIA is voluntary.”
After that decimating retort, Jennings continued, saying, “Yes, they are reorienting. They are reorienting the soft-power bureaucracy,” Jennings responded. “But that’s different than the buyout program. They’re not making anyone take a buyout, they’re saying, if you want to leave, go ahead, and some will do it and some won’t.”
Rogin then claimed, “They’re terrorizing Americans!” Jennings fired back, “It’s not terrorizing to get an offer.” Chiming in, libertarian columnist Brad Polumbo said, “You want [to get] the small — the tiny violin out for the people being offered eight months of paid vacation, talk to Americans who can’t afford groceries. Eight months of paid vacation is terrorizing? Give me a break!”
Watch them here:
