Jake Tapper is not your friend. That’s a common refrain when it comes to reminding the right-wing commentariat that seeking the approval of CNN’s “most fair” journalist isn’t worth it. Tapper is just as viciously partisan and as much of a hack as the rest of his colleagues.
Case in point? He gave a disgusting rant targeting President Trump this morning over the coronavirus.
CNN’s @jaketapper: “Sick and in isolation, Mr. President, you have become a symbol of your own failures. Failures of recklessness, ignorance, arrogance. The same failures you have been inflicting on the rest of us ... Get well and get it together" #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/XXA5uC91Ea
— State of the Union (@CNNSotu) October 4, 2020
What in the heck? Is this supposed to be journalism? I’m struggling to think of things lower than using a man’s infection with a possibly deadly disease to take political shots about policy decisions. I mean, I can think of some, but this is still pretty stinking bad. It also assumes facts not in evidence, namely that Trump got the virus out of “arrogance” and not simply like most have gotten it, even when wearing masks. Namely, via personal contact with a close confidant or family member. Sometimes there is no one to blame.
But you are seeing this because the media are frustrated that Trump isn’t on his death bed. The first few days, they ranted about how awful it was that they weren’t getting minute-by-minute updates on his condition. When it became clear this morning that Trump was doing much better (though not out of the woods yet), their tone shifted. They went back to being their same, awful selves who are willing to politicize literally anything.
Tapper wasn’t done, though. He decided to whine incessantly about the fact that the White House wouldn’t send someone to be on his show.
>> @JakeTapper: "We asked the White House" for a guest – a senior administration official, a spokesperson, a coronavirus task force member, etcetera. "The White House declined to provide any of them, ANY of them, to update you on the president's condition." pic.twitter.com/rFaPUtWNPA
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) October 4, 2020