WATCH: Jake Tapper spells out the insidious truth behind Trump’s ‘insatiable hunger for glowing coverage’
Elizabeth Preza 27 Nov 2017 at 17:06 ET
CNN's Jake Tapper (Screengrab)
Jake Tapper on Monday slammed Donald Trump’s recent attack on the press—which singled out anchor’s own network, CNN—after the president suggested a contest among all of the news channels (“not including Fox”) to determine which “is the most dishonest, corrupt and/or distorted in its political coverage of your favorite President (me).
”Donald J. Trump?Verified account @realDonaldTrump
We should have a contest as to which of the Networks, plus CNN and not including Fox, is the most dishonest, corrupt and/or distorted in its political coverage of your favorite President (me)They are all bad. Winner to receive the FAKE NEWS TROPHY! 8:04 AM - Nov 27, 2017
Tapper called Trump’s attacks indicative of “the president’s growing reality gap,” noting “this missive is the latest attack on the free press by the President of the United States since well, Saturday.”
The CNN host then assailed Trump’s tweet over the weekend declaring CNN International “a major source of fake news.”
“That is false,” Tapper said, rolling incredible footage of CNN International reporters embedded on the front lines. “The amazing journalists at CNN International bring the truth to the world. They’re carrying out important, rare and often dangerous work. They have been for decades.”
“So many reporters and producers and photojournalists—too many to name—are carrying out important work in dangerous places across the world to bring truth to the world,” Tapper said. The CNN host also noted Trump’s attacks came “the exact same day” Russian President Vladimir Putin ruled that foreign media outlets like CNN International will be listed as foreign agents by the Russian government. Tapper said the White House declined to respond when asked if there was any relationship between the president’s tweets and Putin’s decision to penalize CNN International.
Tapper then turned to Trump’s weekend tweet hyping the fringe conspiracy site MAGAPill.com, which, the CNN host noted, is “riddled with anti-semitism.”
“That’s the website the president seemingly supports,” Tapper said. “There may, however, be more here than just one man’s insatiable hunger for glowing coverage … This seems, at least in part, to undermine accountability for him and his administration. But attacking the press is not going to stop us from reporting that which he does not like to have covered.”
Tapper went on to list a series of news reports relating to special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and collusion with the Trump campaign.
“That I am sharing these facts with you, facts the president does not care for, might explain why he seeks to discredit CNN and all media organizations who report on him without fear or favor,” Tapper said.
“The president does not care for us reporting these facts, and seems that he does not want you to believe these facts,” he continued. “The president said he wanted to give an award based on which network is the most, quote, dishonest, corrupt or distorted—but his problems with journalism seem to be rooted in the exact opposite. He hates that which is honest and ethical and precise. Ask yourself: Why might that be?”
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