CNN Panel Erupts After ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ Comparison of Minnesota Democrats by Scott Jennings [WATCH]

A CNN panel discussion erupted Monday night after a conservative commentator questioned why Minnesota Democrats appear to cater to the state’s Somali community, citing an appearance by Minnesota Lt. Gov. and U.S. Senate candidate Peggy Flanagan wearing what appeared to be a hijab during a recent television interview, as reported by Fox News.

The exchange unfolded during an episode of CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip, as panelists debated Flanagan’s appearance on a Somali television station filmed at a mall.

The segment aired as Minnesota continues to face scrutiny over a widespread fraud scandal implicating some Somali residents in alleged misuse of state-funded programs.

During the Somali-language broadcast, Flanagan appeared wearing a headscarf resembling a hijab and addressed viewers directly.

“The Somali community is part of the fabric of the state of Minnesota,” Flanagan said during the interview.

The image of Flanagan wearing the headscarf became the focal point of the CNN debate. For Muslim women, a hijab is commonly worn as a sign of modesty and religious observance.

Flanagan is a divorced and remarried Catholic and has publicly supported socially liberal policies, including transgender identity for children and abortion rights. That contrast became central to the on-air disagreement.

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Conservative commentator Scott Jennings questioned what he described as Democrats’ repeated outreach to the Somali community.

“The catering to the Somali community that goes on by the Democrats in Minnesota is a little weird, is it not?” Jennings said. “They’ve got the lieutenant governor up there dressed like the Handmaid’s Tale.”

Jennings was referencing The Handmaid’s Tale, a dystopian novel depicting a theocratic society in which women are forced into rigid roles.

The imagery associated with the book has frequently been used by liberal activists as a form of protest.

“Why do they cater to them?” Jennings continued. “It’s such a small portion of the population. Democrats put them at the center of everything.”

CNN host Abby Phillip pushed back on the comparison, arguing it crossed a line.

“I don’t think it would be acceptable for you to make a statement like that about Orthodox Jews in Brooklyn. Why on earth is it acceptable to make a statement like that about people —,” Phillip said before being interrupted.

“It’s a White liberal woman dressing in [a hijab],” Jennings interjected.

Phillip accused Jennings of disparaging religious practices, saying, “You’re denigrating the religious practices of a group for no reason.”

“She’s not religious,” Jennings responded.

Following the broadcast, a spokesperson representing Peggy Flanagan provided a statement to Fox News Digital addressing the controversy.

“While the lieutenant governor was showing her support for small businesses and communities being terrorized by ICE, she was handed a scarf by a friend and briefly wore it out of respect,” the spokesperson said.

“The real outrage should not be a scarf, but masked men throwing American citizens into vans and violating the Constitution.”

The exchange highlighted ongoing tensions surrounding cultural outreach, immigration enforcement, and political symbolism in Minnesota, as well as broader disagreements over how those issues are discussed on national television.

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