‘Ask yourself a fundamental question about network integrity’

GOP veep choice JD Vance on Sunday, it went head-to-head with CNN anchor Jake Tapper that of former President Donald Trump rhetoric and the fact that some former top aides have called him a “fascist.”

Tapper from “State of the Union” came out of the gate to Vance, chuckling about Trump’s comments about an “enemy from within” and retired Gen. John Kelly’s suggestion that his former boss “fits the common definition of fascist.”

Vance, 40, in turn disparaged Trump defectors like Kelly and former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) as warmongers, leading Tapper, 55, to dig deeper into the 45th president’s rhetoric about attacking election officials who cheating.

“You’re taking words out of context,” an exasperated Vance said at one point. “If you wanted to post a video and actually put it into context, I think the American people would realize that Donald Trump is a lot more reasonable than people like Liz Cheney, who like to fool us. war.”

“Now, Jake, we also have to remember, I mean, take a step back. Ask yourself a basic question about network integrity. You were talking non-stop about the Russian hoax.’

Tapper defended CNN, claiming that the “FBI was investigating, so we covered them.”

Republicans have long been outraged by coverage of the allegations about Trump’s alleged ties to Russia, accusing the media of exaggerating the issue and fueling public misconceptions.

“You took the words of unnamed FBI agents and posted them on your network as if they were gospel truth. You did it over and over again,” Vance shot back.

“A viewer of your network would have believed that Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin conspired in 2016. That was completely and ridiculously untrue,” the hopeful said.

Tapper insisted that Vance’s characterization of the network’s reporting was “false” and repeated his claim that the cable news company was merely reporting on an FBI investigation.

But Vance said, “You discussed it in a way that gave credibility to anonymous sources (and) accusations. You did it yourself. Your network did it, Jake.”

The pair then returned to their sharp exchange about Trump’s rhetoric and the handful of former officials in his administration who have warned the public about him.

Kelly, who served as White House chief of staff between 2017 and 2019, had said that The New York Times that Trump “certainly prefers the dictatorial approach to government.”

The best former Trump aide also claimed the Atlantic Ocean that Trump expressed admiration for the loyalty that Adolf Hitler’s generals showed to him. Trump has denied that.

Kelly’s comments also come after Trump’s nominee for former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, described him as a “fascist through and through,” according to Watergate sleuth Bob Woodward’s recent book “War.”

Vance attacked Kelly, accusing him of harboring a “worldview so antithetical to peace.”

Tapper responded: “So all ten people, including former Vice President Mike Pence, all these people have a terribly damaged worldview, and they’re all going after Donald Trump because they want to send people to war?”

“Is that really your argument?” Tapper added indignantly.

“Absolutely,” Vance insisted. “All the people, Jake, came into power thinking they could control Donald Trump, even though he said he wanted peace in the world.”

Trump, 78, has expressed regret over some of his personnel choices, telling podcast king Joe Rogan that the biggest mistake I made was: “I picked some people I shouldn’t have picked.”

The 45th president described some of his picks as “neocons, or bad people, or disloyal people.” During that same interview, he praised several hawkish Republicans around him, such as former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who have shown loyalty to him.

After Vance’s combative interview with CNN, the network brought in Cheney to rebut him. CBS’ “Face the Nation” similarly aired an interview with Vance on Sunday, followed by an interview with Cheney.

“What we just saw is what it looks like when someone has to go through incredible contortions to try to find a way to defend the person that J.D. Vance himself called America’s Hitler,” Cheney said, referring to Vance’s description of Trump as “America’s Hitler”. ” during the 2016 campaign cycle.

Vance has since attributed that earlier attack on his running mate to a warped understanding of Trump at the time that was distorted by the media.

The Republican Party’s vice presidential candidate also underscored during the interview with Tapper that he plans to be a veep for all Americans, not just conservatives.

“Of course I want to be the vice president of all Americans. “I’m running because I want people to be able to afford a good life in this country,” he said.