Scott Jennings schools CNN panelist who suggests Trump is not in charge of the military as commander-in-chief

CNN panelist and Substack writer, Toure, suggested that President Donald Trump was not in charge of the military during a segment with senior political commentator Scott Jennings, who chided the panelist for appearing to not understand that the president is the commander-in-chief as written in the Constitution.

During the exchange, Toure claimed that Trump was going to take control of the military and "contravene"—or violate—the Constitution of the United States. He stated that "taking control of the military" is the usual action of a “dictatorship.” He added that he was going to give Jennings a "civics lesson" that appeared to backfire. 

"Are you suggesting that the president is not the commander-in-chief of the military?" Jennings asked.

"I'm suggesting that the president is going to put in charge somebody who is going to contravene the Constitution," the Substack writer responded. "And at some near point, this conversation will look very silly for you because it will be obvious. And right now, you're gaslighting."

Jennings has been the lone conservative on the panel for some time, and repeated the claim back to Toure, "He's going to put someone in charge who will contravene the Constitution - but who? What do you mean by that? The president is in charge of the military, is he not? You said he's going to put someone in charge - of the military?"

Abby Phillip, host of the segment, jumped in and said, "The president is in charge of the military. That is how it works." Toure had claimed that DOGE is not cutting back on federal spending to cut spending, but is taking those actions so that the government is "too small to stop Trump with whatever else is in this plan." He went on to say that Trump was "shredding the Constitution," and then said Trump "controlling the military" was an example of the president violating the founding document.

Article II of the US Constitution states, "The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States."