Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D-Wash.) found quite the effective way to prevent conservative commentator Scott Jennings from interrupting her during a joint appearance on CNN on Thursday — and the moment is resonating with many people.
During one point in a segment of “NewsNight with Abby Phillip,” Strickland discussed President Donald Trump, his billionaire adviser Elon Musk and the mass layoffs and dismantling of federal agencies that the so-called Department of Government Efficiency has directed since Trump took office in January.
“All these random cuts they’re making, all these departments that they don’t even hardly know very well, are hurting the American people,” Strickland said. “How is putting veterans out of work lowering the cost of living?”
Jennings then tried to interject, but the congresswoman wasn’t having it. She quickly held up her index finger in a gesture to silence Jennings — and it worked. The conservative pundit stopped talking and Strickland continued on with her remarks without missing a beat. (Catch the moment at the 2:20 mark in the video below.)
It was a brief moment, but its significance was loud and clear for many on X, formerly Twitter, who celebrated the gesture.
“With one motion, she says ‘oh I’m not done,’” one X user wrote.
“That finger, displayed for a millisecond, had Jennings shook,” wrote another.
Others reveled in the fact that Jennings — a staunch defender of Trump who is known to engage in contentious debates on CNN — appeared “dumbfounded” and said it was empowering to watch a woman silence him the way she did.
Kari J. Winter, professor of American studies at the University at Buffalo, told HuffPost that she believes people are celebrating this moment between Strickland and Jennings because “we’re living in a moment where aggression from MAGA folks is so extreme and constant … and a lot of times Democrats look like deer caught in the headlights.”
Winter ― whose expertise includes gender, feminism, race, class, slavery, politics of food and literature ― said that Democrats are often “not responding forcefully” and that Strickland delivered a “perfect gesture” toward Jennings in that moment.
“There was so much strength behind it,” she said, adding that Strickland used her finger to “maintain the floor when a man — and a very aggressive man — was trying to take the floor away from her.”
“She needed to finish making the point that she was making,” Winter continued. “I think that was a beautiful, powerful moment, and I would like to see that emulated much more in the country right now.”
People against the MAGA movement appreciate seeing folks firmly stand up to right-wingers.
“We really need to see more of it,” Winter said about gestures like Strickland’s on CNN. “I really hope that people will realize that the time for courage and strength is now. And too many people are allowing themselves to be intimidated and silenced.”
She then said that— as was the case with Strickland, who is Black and Korean American — “so often it is Black women and women of color who are taking the lead in exemplifying strength and courage.”
Winter emphasized that Strickland’s gesture wasn’t “aggressive,” and that it was an example of a woman being “assertive” and asserting her right to occupy her own space, and to use her voice.
Karen Beckwith, a political science professor at Case Western Reserve University, said that Strickland — a former mayor and city councilmember — is an experienced elected official who knows how to “hold her own in the face of continued interruption and contentious discussion.”
Beckwith, whose expertise includes gender, politics and political movements, told HuffPost that the exchange on CNN reminded her of former Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2020 vice presidential debate with former Vice President Mike Pence, in which Harris was “continually interrupted by him.”
She recalled the moment Harris told Pence: “If you don’t mind letting me finish, we can then have a conversation, OK?”
Beckwith said that Harris speaking directly to Pence in a civil tone was an effective technique to “hold the floor.” The moment highlighted the frequency in which “men interrupt and try to silence women, setting the issue of uncivil interruption firmly on the political agenda,” she added.
Women deserve the right to stand firm — and the space to speak their minds.
While political panels on cable news networks are known to get testy, with people often interrupting each other, Winter pointed out research has shown that women are more likely to be interrupted than men.
“There has been research going back at least ’til the 1990s that show that men interrupt women a lot more than women interrupt men,” she said. “So there’s that very strong gender dynamic right now.”
Jackie Vernon-Thompson, founder and CEO of the From the Inside-Out School of Etiquette, explained to HuffPost that she would generally recommend anyone — regardless of gender — to respond to interruptions “subtly and gracefully.” But, she added, that there are “times a woman must stand firmly and gesture to someone that such behavior towards her is not acceptable.”
Vernon-Thompson said that Strickland’s gesture to Jennings as he tried to interrupt her conveyed, “Not today, sir!”
“It tickled me a bit,” she said.
Winter said that women being intentional about taking up space in political debates and conversations, like Strickland did on CNN on Thursday, is “an inspiring and powerful thing that we need to do.”
She emphasized that Strickland is an “eloquent” elected official who “has a lot of substantial things to say.”
“She’s an elected representative,” Winter said, “she deserves the space to say her piece.”
