“That’s a New One!” Scott Jennings BURSTS OUT Laughing as CNN Panelist Blames DOGE for Diners Shutting Down — What Was She Thinking?
“That’s a New One!” Scott Jennings BURSTS OUT Laughing as CNN Panelist Blames DOGE for Diners Shutting Down — What Was She Thinking?
“That’s a New One!” Scott Jennings BURSTS OUT Laughing as CNN Panelist Blames DOGE for Diners Shutting Down — What Was She Thinking?
It started like any other political panel on CNN—until Tara Setmayer dropped a bombshell so strange, it left even her fellow pundits questioning reality. With a perfectly straight face, she claimed that the “Department of Government Efficiency,” or DOGE, was behind the sudden wave of diner closures across the country.
Scott Jennings, a seasoned political commentator known for keeping his cool, couldn’t hold it together. He literally burst into laughter on-air, shaking his head in disbelief. Viewers at home? Equally stunned.
But how did we get here? Was this a simple slip of the tongue, a misunderstood acronym, or the debut of a brand-new conspiracy theory? Why target DOGE—an agency most Americans barely know exists? And more importantly, how does this bizarre claim fit into the broader media trend of wild, unchecked statements that somehow go unchallenged?
Is Setmayer onto something the public doesn’t know… or is this just another viral soundbite in an era obsessed with entertainment over facts? And what happens when a laugh on live TV becomes a political headline?
“That’s a New One.” Scott Jennings BURSTS OUT Laughing as CNN Panelist Blames DOGE for Diners Shutting Down — Was This the Strangest TV Moment of the Year?
It was supposed to be another routine Sunday morning political panel on CNN — the kind where talking heads spar over policy, toss in a few soundbites, and go home feeling like they’ve moved the national conversation forward. But what unfolded instead was a jaw-dropping moment of live television that ricocheted across social media faster than you can say “pancake special.”
The spark? A seemingly throwaway comment from CNN political contributor Tara Setmayer, who, without a hint of irony, blamed the Department of Government Efficiency — or DOGE — for the sudden wave of diners shutting down across the country.
Yes, DOGE. And yes, we’re talking about diners.
Not cryptocurrency. Not politics. Diners.
The Moment That Broke the Panel
The segment began innocently enough, with the panel discussing inflation, rising food costs, and the struggles of small businesses in post-pandemic America. As Setmayer took her turn, viewers could sense she was building up to something. But no one — least of all her fellow panelists — expected what came next.
“And frankly,” she said, leaning in with all the gravitas of someone about to deliver a killer point, “this is exactly what happens when the DOGE gets involved. They’ve been streamlining processes to the point that local diners can’t keep up with regulations, and now they’re closing by the dozens.”
The camera caught Scott Jennings mid-sip of coffee. He froze. His eyes widened. And then — he laughed. Not a polite chuckle. Not a quick smirk. A full, shoulder-shaking, on-air laugh that the producers couldn’t cut away from fast enough.
DOGE? Are We Serious Right Now?
The Department of Government Efficiency, known to almost no one outside of certain bureaucratic circles, is a small, relatively obscure agency tasked with reducing red tape in government processes. To hear Setmayer tell it, though, DOGE was the grim reaper of American breakfast culture.
Social media instantly lit up.
“Did she just blame a government efficiency department for killing diners?” one user tweeted.
“I thought DOGE was a crypto meme,” another joked. “Now it’s a waffle assassin?”
By the time the segment ended, #DOGE and #DinerGate were trending side by side on X (formerly Twitter).
Scott Jennings: The Laugh Heard Round the Internet
Jennings, a Republican strategist and longtime CNN contributor, is no stranger to political absurdity. But in interviews after the broadcast, he admitted this was on another level.
“I’ve been doing TV for a long time,” Jennings told a local radio station. “I’ve heard some strange arguments. But blaming DOGE for diners shutting down? That’s a new one. I just couldn’t keep it together.”
His reaction resonated with viewers, many of whom said they laughed just as hard at home. The clip, shared across YouTube and TikTok, racked up millions of views within hours.
A Symptom of Modern Media?
Beyond the humor, the exchange tapped into something deeper about today’s political media environment: the tendency to grab onto obscure or exaggerated talking points in the quest for a viral moment.
Critics pointed out that blaming DOGE for diner closures oversimplifies — and arguably misrepresents — the real challenges facing small eateries: rising food prices, labor shortages, supply chain issues, and shifts in consumer behavior.
“This is what happens when TV punditry turns into improv theater,” said media analyst Clara Hughes. “The facts get fuzzy, the arguments get weird, and the spectacle takes over.”
The Birth of a Conspiracy — Or Just a Meme?
Within hours, parody accounts were churning out fake headlines:
-
“DOGE Shuts Down 500 Pancake Houses in Secret Midnight Raid”
-
“BREAKING: DOGE Official Caught Confiscating Bacon”
Others photoshopped images of bureaucrats in suits storming diners with “Efficiency Enforcement” badges.
While most treated it as a joke, some online conspiracy communities began spinning more elaborate theories, claiming DOGE was part of a “deep-state plan” to control food culture. It was absurd — but in the age of viral misinformation, even absurd ideas can gain traction.
