CNN star Jake Tapper doesn’t want viewers to hear from former President Donald Trump — and threw what critics called a “temper tantrum” when the 45th president was meeting with supporters in Miami.
Trump made a surprise visit to the famous Versailles Cuban after his indictment hearing on Tuesday, greeting fans who prayed over him and sang him “Happy Birthday.”
It interrupted Tapper’s coverage of Trump’s legal troubles, and made the CNN host “melt down” according to another critic. He snapped at his control room to stop showing Trump mingling with voters.
“Whatever this spectacle is that’s unfolding before us, let’s remember what this case is about,” Tapper said. “Let’s remember what this indictment charges again.”
“Donald Trump is charged with a series of federal felonies for mishandling the most sensitive government documents that we have, and for obstruction of justice along with Walt Nauta, who is charged with intentionally setting up lies to the grand jury and to the FBI.”
“Anyway you look at this…” Tapper started. “And again, despite whatever may be going on in that restaurant, this case isn’t going to be settled legally in a cafe.”
“It’s going to be settled in the court,” he continued. “Basically, the facts and law.”
“To the folks in the control room, I don’t need to see any more of that,” Tapper said. “He’s trying to turn it into a spectacle and into a campaign ad.”
“That is enough of that. We’ve seen it already,” he told the control room.
He then started listing the federal charges that have been brought against Trump.
Take a look —
Jake Tapper asks the CNN control room to stop running footage of Trump visiting a Miami cafe right after his arraignment.
"I don’t need to see any more of that. He’s trying to turn it into a spectacle and into a campaign ad. That is enough of that. We’ve seen it already." pic.twitter.com/ivjTf5m2JV
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) June 13, 2023