CNN’s Jake Tapper Puts Elise Stefanik On Blast For Defending Trump’s ‘Call For Genocide’ | EUROtoday

CNN anchor Jake Tapper on Sunday referred to as out Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) for giving President Donald Trump a cross for his “call for genocide” in Iran. (Watch extra within the clip under.)

“You are putting those words in his mouth,” mentioned Stefanik, who took difficulty with Tapper utilizing the phrase “genocide” to explain the president’s risk to wipe out the “whole civilization” of Iran earlier this month. “You are putting those words in his mouth. He is engaging in diplomatic back-and-forth.”

Tapper chimed in, paraphrasing Trump’s publish, “Your entire civilization will die?”

The tense TV faceoff started when the “State of the Union” host referred to Stefanik criticizing college presidents who refused to sentence pro-Palestinian college students who chanted “from the river to the sea,” a phrase some critics view as a name for the elimination of Israel.

“You characterize [that phrase] as a call for genocide, to wipe out all the Jews in Israel from the river to the sea,” Tapper started. “Just to be clear, you believe wiping out an entire civilization is genocidal and nobody should make a call to do such a thing?”

“Yes, of course,” replied Stefanik as she recalled how she questioned college presidents at congressional hearings on antisemitism again in 2023.

“What did you think when President Trump threatened to obliterate the entire Iranian civilization?” Tapper later requested.

“He was focusing on the Iranian regime and what did it do? It brought the Iranians to the table, it led to the ceasefire,” replied Stefanik, who described Trump’s language in his statements as “very strong.”

As Stefanik tried to drift away from Tapper’s query, the host reeled her again.

“‘Your whole civilization will die tonight.’ He didn’t say the regime will be wiped out. He said, ‘Your whole civilization will die tonight,’” Tapper mentioned whereas studying from Trump’s publish. “And I just have to say, it’s interesting that a 20-year-old college kid on a campus yelling, ‘From the river to the sea,’ that’s worthy of condemnation but a president of the United States who actually has—.”

“You don’t think it’s worthy of condemnation — Jake, you don’t think it’s worthy of condemnation of students that are targeting Jewish students,” replied Stefanik earlier than the interview morphed into crosstalk.

Several seconds later, Tapper jumped again in, “I’m saying you’re applying two different standards here.”