CNN’s Kasie Hunt stunned after Scott Jennings labels Howard Lutnick’s Epstein lies ‘PR blunder’

WASHINGTON, DC: CNN anchor Kasie Hunt clashed with conservative commentator Scott Jennings on ‘The Arena’ after he dismissed Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s false statements about his ties to convicted offender Jeffrey Epstein as merely a “public relations blunder.” 

Jennings appeared on the program Wednesday, Feb 11, to discuss Attorney General Pam Bondi’s high-profile congressional hearing and the Justice Department’s ongoing release of Epstein-related documents.

CNN’s Kasie Hunt confronts Scott Jennings over Lutnick’s false statements

During Wednesday’s episode of 'The Arena', Hunt played a clip from the congressional hearing in which Lutnick admitted to the visit and pressed Jennings, joined by New York Times journalist Lulu Garcia-Navarro, on his defense of the secretary.

The exchange quickly grew heated as Hunt challenged Jennings’ description of Lutnick’s behavior as merely a “public relations blunder.” She pointed out that the controversy, once dismissed by some as a conspiracy theory, had proven the critics right.

Jennings insisted, "I don’t think Lutnick’s committed any crimes. Now, this was a huge f**p of a**."

Navarro interjected, emphasizing, “No, he lied.” Hunt pressed the point further, arguing that claiming publicly never to have spent time with Epstein, only admitting it under oath, was far more serious than a simple blunder.

Jennings acknowledged the mistake, "I am in agreement with you. I am in agreement with you that obviously this is a horrible public relations blunder. He did not commit any crimes. There’s a big difference between making a PR blunder and lying."

To which Navaro responded, "Well is lying– is this administration not saying that lying about something in the public interest like this is not– there should be no accountability about that. Because if you’ve looked at what’s happened in the UK."

Hunt added, "I was going to say, the king of England has put out statements about this type of activity that are stronger than blunder."

White House stands by Lutnick amid bipartisan criticism over renewed Epstein controversy

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick faced criticism from both parties on Tuesday, February 10, after admitting that he visited Jeffrey Epstein’s private island in 2012. Speaking before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee, Lutnick tried to downplay his connection to Epstein, saying he “barely had anything to do with that person,” even though newly released Department of Justice records show multiple visits.

This admission contrasts with Lutnick’s previous statements. Last year, he said in a podcast that he and his wife had agreed in 2005 to “never be in the room” with Epstein again after a brief, inappropriate encounter at Epstein’s New York home. 

DOJ documents released as part of more than 3 million files reveal that Lutnick not only visited Epstein’s island in 2012 but also spent about an hour at Epstein’s home in 2011.

During his testimony, Lutnick described his interactions with Epstein as minimal, just a few emails and a couple of meetings over 14 years, and said the 2012 island visit was a family vacation stop.

Despite the controversy, the White House has continued to defend Lutnick. Spokesman Kush Desai said Monday that President Trump is focused on delivering results and called the current Cabinet the “most transformative” in modern history.