Jake Tapper's obsession got so strange that Mike Johnson had to implore Tapper to stop it . . .
On the Sunday edition of CNN's State of the Union, host Tapper couldn't stop talking about . . . Arnold Palmer's penis.
Yes, Trump had alluded to it during a rally in the late, great golfer's hometown of Latrobe, Pennsylvania. But Tapper was absolutely obsessed with it, and wouldn't stop peppering Speaker Johnson on the subject.
Trying to move onto policy, Johnson wryly observed, "Jake, you seem to like that line a lot,” and then Tapper expressed aspiration that Johnson wouldn't agree with him that it was a horrible distraction.
TAPPER: I know you want to talk about policy, and I respect that. But the reason that Donald Trump is not up ten points is because of comments like that one, where people do have concerns about his fitness, his acuity, and his stability.
Why is he talking about Arnold Palmer's penis in front of Pennsylvania voters?
MIKE JOHNSON: Jake, you seem to like that line a lot. Let me tell you that. Donald Trump is doing rallies non-stop around the country --
TAPPER: I didn't mention, I didn't -- believe me. Let me just say something.
JOHNSON: All right.
TAPPER: I don't want to be talking about this. Donald Trump is out there saying it.
JOHNSON: But you continue to! Let's talk about --
TAPPER: -- Because you won't address it! You won't address it!
Johnson ended with this:
JOHNSON: I've been in those events. I've been in those arenas. And people have a great time at those arenas. So, you can cherry pick a few words or lines out of a two-hour event. We could do that with Kamala Harris after a 20-minute event. Because she does word salads, and she couldn't, she couldn't hold court like that without a teleprompter.
We all know that. This is a fact. The American people see it. And the media can pick it apart. But people are going to vote. They're going to vote what's best for their family. And people see that in Trump.
And that's not . . . junk.
Here's the transcript.
CNN
State of the Union
10/20/24
9:06 am EDTJAKE TAPPER: Let me read you the lead of the Associated Press story about Trump's rally in Pennsylvania. Quote: Donald Trump's campaign suggested he would begin previewing his closing arguments Saturday night, with election day barely two weeks away, but the former president kicked off his rally with a detailed story about Arnold Palmer. At one point, even praising the late legendary golfer's genitalia, unquote.
Mr. Speaker, you're crossing all over the country. You're working hard to get Republicans over the line in this election. You're talking about substantive issues. Is this really the closing message you want voters to hear from Donald Trump? Stories about Arnold Palmer's penis?
. . .
I'm sure that you think that a policy debate would be better than a personality debate. But if President Biden had gone on stage and spoke about the size of a pro golfer's penis, I think you would be on this show right now saying you were shocked and appalled. and you would suggest it was evidence of his cognitive decline.
. . .
TAPPER: I know you want to talk about policy, and I respect that. But the reason that Donald Trump is not up ten points is because of comments like that one, where people do have concerns about his fitness, his acuity, and his stability.
Why is he talking about Arnold Palmer's penis in front of Pennsylvania voters?
MIKE JOHNSON: Jake, you seem to like that line a lot. Let me tell you that. Donald Trump is doing rallies non-stop around the country --
TAPPER: I didn't mention, I didn't -- believe me. Let me just say something.
JOHNSON: All right.
TAPPER: I don't want to be talking about this. Donald Trump is out there saying it.
JOHNSON: But you continue to! Let's talk about --
TAPPER: -- Because you won't address it! You won't address it! He is out there talking about to folks about --
JOHNSON: No. I'll address it. I'll answer it.
TAPPER: Okay.
JOHNSON: Okay. Don't say it again. We don't have to say it. I get it. There's times in a rally, when President Trump is at a rally, sometimes he'll speak for two straight hours. You're questioning his stamina? His mental acuity? Joe Biden couldn't do that for five minutes.
That's how you started this segment. You said, what if Biden was in a rally like that? He couldn't fill the room. Donald Trump does. You know why? Because they see him as a change agent, and they understand he has a record of performance.
. . .
So he has fun at the rallies. He says things that are off the cuff.
But I'm telling you. I've been in those events. I've been in those arenas. And people have a great time at those arenas. So, you can cherry pick a few words or lines out of a two-hour event. We could do that with Kamala Harris after a 20-minute event. Because she does word salads, and she couldn't, she couldn't hold court like that without a teleprompter.
We all know that. This is a fact. The American people see it. And the media can pick it apart. But people are going to vote. They're going to vote what's best for their family. And people see that in Trump.
