CNN host Jake Tapper concluded Sunday’s State of the Union with a self-righteous rant he thought was going to make President Trump look like he was doing nothing to combat the coronavirus. Instead, Tapper came off as foolish since many of the supposedly tough questions that had no good answers actually did have answers, ones that CNN would like to be kept hidden from their liberal viewer base.
It was clear things were going to take on a deeply vicious and vindictive tone when Tapper began his ramblings with this line: “If I can take a moment, I would like to speak directly to one person known to watch this show or at least clips of the show, President Trump.”
“Mr. President, I know you, like millions of Americans, are eager to have the nation go back to some semblance of normal. One of the questions the American people need answered for that to happen responsibly, what's the plan,” he rhetorically asked as if the administration wasn’t fighting the virus.
His first barrage of pointless questions were ones that were answered weeks ago, answered in recent press briefings CNN refused to cut to, or he should’ve already known the answers too:
Is there a plan for widespread testing of every American so as to isolate the virus the way other countries have done? When will there be enough tests for that to happen? How will they be administered? Who will pay for the tests and the results? Who will notify us as to whether we’ve tested positive or not?
First off, no country has tested its entire population, not even South Korea. Dr. Anthony Fauci of the Coronavirus Task Force had even said testing the entire country was impractical and wouldn’t help. Tapper should also be smart enough to know that doctors and health care professionals would be the ones to administer tests and notify patients of the results.
The dumb questions about testing were only outmatched by Tapper’s questions about the production of urgently need medical and personal protective equipment (PPE):
And what to do then. Is there a plan to make sure doctors and nurses and health care professionals finally are able to get the personal protective equipment or PPE that they need?
(…)
What about ventilators? New York City mayor De Blasio said today would be the day his city could run out. Governor Edwards said his state could run out Thursday. Is there a plan to expedite the manufacturer of ventilators? It's still not clear whether you have fully utilized the Defense Production Act. Have you? Are any companies being compelled by the U.S. government to make ventilators? And when will they be made? When can hospitals get them?
What about the cotton masks that the CDC is now suggesting that we all wear when we leave our homes? Is someone manufacturing them? How can we get them? Is there a plan?
The answer to many of those questions was “yes” and Tapper knew it, he was refusing to be honest. At a press briefing last week in the White House rose garden, Trump had introduced the CEOs from MyPillow, Honeywell, Jockey International, Procter & Gamble, and United Technologies to tell the press how they were converting and ramping up their operations to produce PPE. On top of that, General Motors, GE, and Ford had vowed to start cranking out ventilators.
Again, Tapper was refusing to be honest. Instead, he decided to lash out at the President. “Please, Mr. President, the American people, they need answers to these questions. They are less interested in your popularity on Facebook,” he sneered. “Attacking governors and mayors and journalists for asking questions. That might please your fans, it doesn't save one life.”
As he was wrapping up, Tapper spouted the typical CNN talking points against Fox News and took a parting shot by insinuating there was no plan. “It's a moment that requires leadership, it requires honest information, it requires empathy, and it requires a plan. Do you have one?”
This is CNN, where dishonesty lives.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN’s State of the Union
April 5, 2020
9:53:23 a.m. EasternJAKE TAPPER: If I can take a moment, I would like to speak directly to one person known to watch this show or at least clips of the show, President Trump.
Mr. President, I know you, like millions of Americans, are eager to have the nation go back to some semblance of normal. One of the questions the American people need answered for that to happen responsibly, what's the plan?
Is there a plan for widespread testing of every American so as to isolate the virus the way other countries have done? When will there be enough tests for that to happen? How will they be administered? Who will pay for the tests and the results? Who will notify us as to whether we’ve tested positive or not? And what to do then. Is there a plan to make sure doctors and nurses and health care professionals finally are able to get the personal protective equipment or PPE that they need?
Those health care workers are quite literally dying while they try to protect our society and save lives. And they're begging for PPE. They don't need to be told their governors or their hospital directors are doing anything wrong by trying to get those supplies to protect their lives while they try to save our lives. They need to know that there's a plan to get them the supplies they need.
Governors and mayors right now are literally bidding against each other and against the federal government to try to get these supplies. This is escalating the prices and causing confusion and unnecessary bidding competition. Is there a plan to stop that? What is it?
What about ventilators? New York City mayor De Blasio said today would be the day his city could run out. Governor Edwards said his state could run out Thursday. Is there a plan to expedite the manufacturer of ventilators? It's still not clear whether you have fully utilized the Defense Production Act. Have you? Are any companies being compelled by the U.S. government to make ventilators? And when will they be made? When can hospitals get them?
What about the cotton masks that the CDC is now suggesting that we all wear when we leave our homes? Is someone manufacturing them? How can we get them? Is there a plan?
Please, Mr. President, the American people, they need answers to these questions. They are less interested in your popularity on Facebook. Thousands of Americans are in mourning. They're horrified when you make leering illusions to your history with models while discussing projection models of mass American deaths. Attacking governors and mayors and journalists for asking questions. That might please your fans, it doesn't save one life.
This is not about winning a news cycle on Fox. Please. The American people right now need someone to explain what is going to be done to get us out of this. It's a moment that requires leadership, it requires honest information, it requires empathy, and it requires a plan. Do you have one?
