Scott Jennings squirms as CNN panel laughs at his Paxton take: 'Everyone stop laughing!'

CNN conservative commentator Scott Jennings pleaded with fellow panelists to stop laughing after he tried to defend President Donald Trump's backhanded praise of Ken Paxton.

The exchange unfolded on CNN's "The Arena" after host Kasie Hunt played a clip of Trump talking about Paxton, the Texas attorney general who is running for the U.S. Senate.

In the clip, Trump ran through a list of Paxton's apparent shortcomings before praising his loyalty.

"You might not like the way he dresses. And I say this, it's so insulting to him, but I might as well say it. You might not like the way he looks," Trump said. "He may not dress right. He may not talk exactly perfectly. And he may not be the best-looking guy I've ever seen."

"Ken Paxton was at my side more than anybody, and I have to always remember that because he can be a pain in the a— sometimes. I'll be honest," Trump added.

Hunt turned to Jennings and quipped, "I mean, Scott Jennings, with friends like these."

Jennings tried to put a positive spin on the president's remarks.

"I think what he's describing is an authenticity that you rarely find in a candidate," Jennings said, drawing laughter from around the table. Hunt could be seen and heard cracking up across the table during Jennings' defense of Paxton.

"I'm trying," Jennings said. "Stop laughing. Everyone stop laughing right now."

Kate Bedingfield, a former Biden White House communications director, then argued that Paxton's wardrobe has nothing to do with his trouble winning over Texas voters.

"They don't like the fact that he is totally supportive of a Trump agenda that they feel like has made their lives more expensive. They don't like the fact that he was held accountable for ethics violations by his own party, by the Republican Party in Texas," Bedingfield said. "They don't like the ugliness around his divorce."