‘Show the Clip of Donald Trump Being Called a Fascist!’ Jake Tapper Trolls Republican Leaders Over Their Outrage at Harris Comment
CNN’s Jake Tapper trolled Republican congressional leaders Friday by reminding them former President Donald Trump had repeatedly called Vice President Kamala Harris a “fascist,” among other insults.
The CNN anchor enlisted his production team to play a clip of Harris calling her 2024 opponent a “fascist” during a network town hall earlier this week. The bit resulted in Tapper’s team – who was obviously in on the bit – airing two clips of Trump referring to Harris as a “fascist” and a “Marxist.” The CNN team eventually got around to finding the VP’s comments while Tapper feigned annoyance at them.
Tapper opened the segment by noting House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell had both expressed outrage at Harris for calling Trump a “fascist.”
The duo issued a joint statement in which they said Harris had “fanned the flames beneath a boiling cauldron of political animus” following two attempts on Trump’s life.
“So, the two are Republican leaders expressing concern about Kamala Harris calling Donald Trump a fascist,” Tapper said on Friday’s The Lead. The host then had some fun at their expense by having the control room air multiple clips of Trump calling Harris a “fascist,” which Tapper pretended the crew wasn’t supposed to do:
TAPPER: Let’s show an example of Harris doing exactly what McConnell and Johnson are taking issue with.
TRUMP: She’s a Marxist, communist, fascist, socialist.
TAPPER: I’m sorry, control room, that was actually Donald Trump calling Kamala Harris a fascist in September. Control room, are you ready? Please run the clip of Kamala Harris calling Donald Trump a fascist, which offended the Republican leaders.
TRUMP: Somebody’s got to explain this one, this is a racial left, Marxist, communist fascist.
TAPPER: Okay, again, I’m sorry, that was Trump calling Harris a fascist, I apologize. Control room. Can we get it together? Johnson and McConnell are very upset that Kamala Harris called Donald Trump a fascist. Please roll the clip.
TRUMP: We have a fascist person running who’s incompetent and we have a president who’s not even around
TAPPER: Guys, I’m trying to show the clip of Donald Trump being called a fascist. That’s what Speaker Johnson and Leader McConnell are really worried about. You keep running different clips of Trump calling her a fascist. Please, humor me.
The show then aired clips of former Trump chief of staff John Kelly calling Trump a fascist and himself reading a similar quote about the former president from Gen. Mark Milley.
After his producers finally did air the clip of Harris telling Anderson Cooper on Wednesday she believed Trump was indeed a fascist. Tapper commented:
Thank you. My control room going a little bit rogue there and making a point, perhaps. This is obviously what Mike Johnson and Mitch McConnell are worried about. Kamala Harris agreeing with the words of some of the people who have worked closely with Trump in the Oval Office and the situation room. That’s that’s what they have an issue with, not Trump using these very same words.
Watch above via CNN.
