What To Know
- CNN commentator Scott Jennings called on Rep. Max Miller (R-OH) to drop out of his re-election bid amid serious abuse allegations.
- Jennings criticized Miller’s defensive and deflective interview with Jake Tapper.
- Despite mounting pressure, Miller insists he will remain in the race for Congress.
Scott Jennings shared his thoughts on Rep. Max Miller (R-OH) on Tuesday’s (August 4) edition of CNN America’s Choice, urging the congressman to drop out of his re-election bid amid abuse allegations.
Miller is facing abuse allegations from his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, the daughter of Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH). She claims that Miller pointed a gun at her head, threw scalding hot water at her, pushed her into a wall, and fractured their two-year-old daughter’s collarbone.
On Tuesday’s episode of The Lead, Miller, who has faced similar allegations from his ex-girlfriend Stephanie Grisham, was grilled by host Jake Tapper. Miller continued to deny the accusations and also stated that he has no intention of dropping out of the election race.
“First of all, my heart goes out to the family,” Jennings said on Tuesday night, per Mediaite. “I mean, you’ve got a mother, a young child. Bernie Moreno, who I know and have been very fond of… a great new senator from Ohio. I mean, I believe them when they say they have gone through what Bernie Moreno called ‘the seventh level of hell.’”
Jennings was referring to comments Bernie made to reporters on Tuesday. “What my daughter has been through, what my wife is going through, this is truly the seventh level of hell,” the senator said. “This has been a horrific experience for my entire family. My daughter specifically did not want this to be out in public… My daughter lives in constant fear of this man.”
The conservative commentator went on to talk about Miller’s interview with Tapper. “This interview today was remarkable. It was long. It was full of deflection. I found no reason, just as a Republican watching it, why I would want that person, above all other Republicans who live in that district, to serve in the U.S. Congress,” Jennings stated.
He added, “Even if you’re Max Miller and you want to argue, ‘All of these things are not true,’ or ‘it’s made up,’ or whatever, don’t you have to ask yourself, ‘What’s the best thing for my family?’”
Jennings said that Miller appears to need “some personal healing,” as does the family as a whole. “And is the best way to do that to fight it out in a congressional campaign? In the middle of American politics, the way it is right now, obviously the answer to that question is no,” he continued. “I would think it’d be a pretty easy call for Republicans to say, ‘We can do better than this in Ohio.’”
CNN’s Sarah Ferris also reported on Miller’s interview, quoting one Republican operative as saying, “I mean what the absolute f*** was that?”
The New York Times’ Jonathan Swan also quote-tweeted the post and added, “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Despite Miller’s assertions that he will not drop out of the race, Axios reported on Monday (August 3) that President Trump called the congressman to say that “things aren’t looking good” for him.
If you or someone you know is the victim of domestic abuse, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233.
If you or someone you know is the victim of child abuse, contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453). If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.