Maggie Haberman, Jake Tapper Roast Trump Over Promise to End ‘Weaponization’: ‘He Turbocharged It!’

CNN commentator and New York Times White House correspondent Maggie Haberman and CNN anchor Jake Tapper roasted President Donald Trump over his promise to end “weaponization” of government, noting that in their view he has done the opposite.

Trump has long claimed that the multiple investigations and  90-plus criminal indictments of him, as well as the prosecution of the January 6 rioters, among other things, were examples of the “weaponization” of the Department of Justice. During his campaign, Trump vowed to end such “weaponization” even as he urged the targeting of his opponents.

On Tuesday’s edition of CNN’s The Lead, Haberman called out Trump’s promise to end weaponization, and Tapper noted that instead “he turbocharged it”:

TAPPER: In the first term, there was — you know, John Kelly was there and there were people there who could say things to him. The speaker of the House, it seems like ancient history, you know, it was Paul Ryan. There were people that would push back. I don’t know if there is anyone in the modern world that meets with him at the White House or in the Republican Congress who ever pushes back.

HABERMAN: I think, look, it depends on the issue, but, yes, you are correct that this is a very different White House. Among the reasons why it is a group of people that was with him during the campaign and during the interacting period, many of whom got investigated themselves, they’ve been very radicalized about, you know, his same opponents. But there is a clear desire to help him get to a yes on all things and to not really object to him. And he can vent quite angrily when he is upset with staff. And I think that’s one thing that people try to avoid.

TAPPER: Well, you talk about how radicalized they were by, let’s say, the investigations. And, again, let’s just, for the benefit of the doubt, say, okay, I get it. But now, instead of saying, that was so horrible, you know, no one should ever go through it, they’re saying, that was a horrible, now we’re going to do it to them.

HABERMAN: Correct. And after he insisted I will end the weaponization, you know, it’s really hard to see what is the difference —

TAPPER: Well, he turbocharged it.

HABERMAN: Right. And he is systematically going after people who either criticize him or oppose him, or have disagreed with him, or investigated him. And you know, we will see how many more follow. In some cases these are institutions that other Republicans are happy to see gone after, like higher education, even some of the law firms. But in other cases, he’s going after individuals and that’s a different issue.

TAPPER: Maggie Haberman, always a treat to have you in studio. Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.

Watch above via CNN’s The Lead.