On his 77th birthday, former President Donald Trump issued a response to remarks made by CNN’s Jake Tapper during a live broadcast on Tuesday.
While CNN aired a live feed of Trump supporters celebrating after the former President’s arraignment, Tapper expressed his dissatisfaction and suggested that the network should terminate the feed. The footage displayed Trump being cheered on by his supporters at a restaurant after pleading not guilty to federal charges related to the alleged mishandling of classified documents following his departure from the White House.
As the video showed Trump supporters engaging in cheers, songs, and birthday wishes for the former President, Tapper commented, “The folks in the control room, I don’t need to see any more of that. He’s attempting to transform this into a spectacle, a campaign advertisement. That’s sufficient.”
Tapper playfully mocked the video feed from his own network, making this remark:
“And as we watch Donald Trump attempt to turn his arrest and indictment into some sort of campaign commercial, we need to remember that the reason we are watching this is because Donald Trump is accused of breaking some very serious national security laws and then obstructing and refusing to cooperate with the FBI.”
Nicole Wallace, an MSNBC anchor, also urged her network’s staff to end the video feed displaying supporters welcoming and cheering for Trump at a restaurant in Miami. During a live broadcast, she stated, “We don’t need to see that anymore. We are aware of his whereabouts.”
Last week, Florida authorities issued a 37-count indictment against Trump, adding to the 34-count indictment from a New York court in April.
In response, Trump, known for his decisive and bombastic style, posted a characteristic message on his Truth Social platform. He suggested that comments like those made by Jake Tapper contribute to CNN’s poor ratings, stating the following:
“Fake Tapper just demanded that his broadcast be closed down from Miami because there was far too much enthusiasm on the streets for ‘Trump.’ The good news is, he was the only one to do so, perhaps a good explanation as to why CNN’s ratings are so low!”
Both CNN and MSNBC elected not air the former President’s speech on Tuesday night at his Bedminster, New Jersey, residence.
“We’re not carrying his remarks live because, frankly, he says a lot of things that are not true and sometimes potentially dangerous,” Tapper told CNN viewers, strengthening allegations that legacy media sites do not show objectivity in covering news events.
CNN’S JAKE TAPPER ON TRUMP “We're not carrying his remarks live because frankly he says a lot of things that are not true and potentially dangerous.”
— Recall Katie Hobbs (@AmericanHubener) June 14, 2023
Trump poses an existential threat to the DNC but not to America or the world. Tapper and Cooper told dangerous lies and got paid… pic.twitter.com/uCPaDBJggV
