The Politics Of Self Storage With Scott Jennings

A Lesson In Leadership

Following graduation from the University of Louisville, where he was a political leadership chairman, Jennings became a radio reporter and news anchor. Despite his early success, he still wanted to pursue politics—and he was about to find himself in the thick of it. Jennings secured a coveted White House staff position, where he became an advisor to President George W. Bush.

 

When asked about a memory of Bush that has stayed with him over the years, he thinks for a moment before settling on the 2006 midterm election. Jennings recalls how many strategists wanted Bush to make major national security decisions to try to influence the outcome of the election—but the president refused. “Bush operated with a strong moral compass and a lot of integrity. He never put politics ahead of what he thought was right, particularly on national security.”

 

Jennings says some politicians will try anything to salvage a couple of points in the polls, but Bush wouldn’t budge, even under intense pressure. “We need people who are courageous enough to cast politics aside and do the right thing, and he fit that bill.”

 

After the midterms, when Republicans lost control of Congress, Jennings remembers an impromptu staff meeting. “We’d been shellacked, but the President pulled everyone together and said ‘Yes, we took a thumpin’, but we worked hard and I’m proud of you all.’ It was just an honest, human moment. So, that’s something I remember and something I’ve always admired about him.”

 

Jennings left the White House in 2007 to pursue other endeavors. His willingness to go against the grain eventually led him to CNN, where he has become one of the network’s most recognizable conservative commentators—and often the only Republican at the table. Being the lone dissenting voice can sometimes be difficult, earning Jennings the nickname “Lonely Scott” from Bill Maher, a moniker he’s good-naturedly accepted. But Jennings is always up for the challenge. “When I know I’m going to be facing a cacophony of voices who are all yelling at me for one reason or another, the only real way to ever win, or cut through the noise, is to be armed with more facts and knowledge than all of those people combined.”

When asked to put this through a self-storage lens, where a single developer is often pitted against a city board that doesn’t want a facility to be built, Jennings acknowledges that he doesn’t know much about the industry. “I don’t have a lot of formed opinions [on self-storage], but I can offer some advice. If you know you’re going to be facing opposition, being more prepared than everybody at least gives you a fighting chance.”

 

Unfortunately, there can be times when opponents ignore facts or a compelling argument out of emotion or bias. When that happens, Jennings is certain there will still be an audience out there that recognizes who came armed with the facts and made the stronger case. “I think if I were applying this to the setting you described, where a developer is going up against an unreasonable city official, knowing your stuff might make a difference in moving the ball with the other people in the room.”

 

Holding up a hand, he adds, “But that doesn’t always mean you’ll succeed. I don’t always win either, because sometimes I’m debating people who are extraordinarily smart and prepared themselves, like David Axelrod or Van Jones, so I often have worthy opponents just like people in your industry.”

 

Inflation, interest rates, labor, and operating costs—these days operators have a lot on their minds. And like most economic debates in Washington, exactly how much credit or blame belongs to any president depends on who you ask and often what industry they work in. Jennings has witnessed this firsthand. In Kentucky, for example, he’s seen steelworkers praise the President’s course of action, including his direction on tariffs. Conversely, many in agriculture or the alcohol industry tend to not be as pleased with his policies.

 

Beyond industry-specific impacts, Jennings believes there are broader signs of economic improvement. He points to inflation data as evidence that price pressures are easing, which should help everyone.

 

“Month-over-month inflation data in mid-July showed the biggest one-month drop since April of 2020, so I do think we have seen a calming of the inflation waters. That doesn’t mean there’s no inflation, but we’re not seeing what we did during the Biden administration, so that’s No. 1.”

 

He goes on to say, “No. 2, depending on your industry, I do think the administration’s policies have led to some incentive for investment. Some industries have put capital into jobs and economic expansion in the United States, and they have directly said, ‘This is because of the President.’”

 

Jennings also applauds the decision to make Trump’s 2017 tax cuts permanent, calling it a clear, unequivocal success that benefits the economy and working-class Americans. Though he’s certain Democrats could make the argument that the cuts are working against these individuals, he says the proof will be in the midterm results. “That’s sort of the point of an election, right? Both sides make their case, and you see where the chips fall, so we’ll see in November.”

 

What The Midterms Mean

While Jennings isn’t offering any predictions on the November midterms yet, he recognizes that a power shift in Washington could have a big impact on many businesses, including self-storage. Regardless of the results, he believes the current administration’s policies have produced meaningful changes and that the President has largely done what he said he was going to do. Jennings recognizes that Trump has hit some speed bumps along the way, citing the challenges he faced with the Supreme Court on his initial tariff plan. “Even after that setback, Trump was able to quickly pivot to another plan, and I think it’s given him a stronger economic and diplomatic hand.”

 

On the regulation front, Jennings also thinks Trump has largely been consistent with what you would expect a conservative to do: reduce government regulations. “The federal government is as small as it’s been since 1966,” he notes. “Every Republican I’ve ever worked for has said they were going to shrink the government—Trump actually did.”

 

Of course, government regulation remains a thorn in the sides of many self-storage owners as more states crack down on the industry, with January’s California Senate Bill 709 and NYC Local Laws 162 and 171 raising eyebrows and concern.

 

“Everyone is impacted at the federal level, but some of the most dramatic policy changes are happening at the state level,” says Jennings. “You’re getting wildly different outcomes depending on whether you live in a blue state or a red state. I’m sure your people in self-storage have experienced that.”

 

Many business owners Jennings has spoken with have been taking note of the radically different business environments across states. “The business environment in, say, Florida or Texas is so much different than a California or a New York. It’s just drastic when you have states that have been run for years by Democrats. The regulatory environment is wild.”

 

Following the midterms, Jennings expects the experiences of self-storage operators to be different based on location and size. “If you’re a large one, then you’re obviously existing in lots of different locations, so the variability in your policy outcomes is probably vast. If you have one or two facilities, chances are you’re in the same location, so the variability is smaller.”

While both parties tend to look favorably toward small businesses, Jennings feels the overall disposition of policymakers toward large businesses right now is one of skepticism—as if success could only be achieved through “nefarious means.” He says this is true of Democrats, but also an increasing number of Republicans. “In my 26 years in politics, the right has been considered a safe haven for businesses—any size, any kind—but I do think the party has a more critical eye on them now more than ever.”

 

Jennings remains eternally optimistic for the country’s future, and a lot of that lies in the nature of America’s founding. “Despite our differences, which, admittedly, can be substantial, we still have the best operating DNA of any government ever devised. I also believe America is a force for good, because we are fundamentally good people. And when you have all that, to me, it means virtually every challenge can be overcome.” Watching the World Cup coverage this summer, Jennings was inspired by people traveling from other countries to watch the games and then marveling at what a great, beautiful country America is. He feels that Americans tend to over index the negative aspects of the country and under index what is great about it. “All it took was a few foreigners coming here to watch soccer and eat at a Waffle House to remind us that we actually do live in the best country on Earth. People always leave here thinking, ‘I want to live in America.’ And that makes me very optimistic about who we are and what we are as a country.”

 

After spending an hour with Scott Jennings, something becomes clear: Whether challenging his family, deliberating with peers, or making a case for his country, he’s not simply a contrarian—he follows his convictions. And for Jennings, those aren’t up for debate.

 

Brad Hadfield is MSM’s lead writer and web manager.