Trump Falsely Claims CNN’s Jake Tapper was Shocked When Biden Conceded USMCA Was Better Than NAFTA
President Donald Trump falsely claimed that CNN’s Jake Tapper “couldn’t believe it” when Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden conceded that the USMCA trade deal was an improvement over NAFTA when Tapper interviewed him.
Trump made the misleading comments at his rally in Freeland, Michigan on Thursday evening, several hours after Tapper’s interview with Biden had aired.
“In fact, Biden was interviewed today on — there they are — CNN,” Trump said to the crowd, that booed as he gestured toward the reporters covering the event. “And they said, ‘Which is better? NAFTA or the USMCA?’ And he said, ‘No, no, the USMCA.’ Tapper goes ‘What?’ Couldn’t believe it, that he said USMCA. He made a mistake. From his perspective, he made a mistake. Because he doesn’t know what is going on. Even though he’s right, he doesn’t know…They gave him a few chances. Let’s ask that question again.”
Almost everything about Trump’s characterization of the exchange was false. In fact, it was Tapper who was pressing Biden on how even Nancy Pelosi had conceded USMCA was an improvement on NAFTA.
What Tapper actually said during that segment of the interview:
“He renegotiated NAFTA and you didn’t is the point,” Tapper noted.
“Because we had a Republican Congress that wouldn’t go along with us renegotiating,” Biden protested.
“Doesn’t he deserve some credit for that?” Tapper asked. “It’s better, USMCA is better than NAFTA.”
“It is better than NAFTA,” Biden acknowledged.
Watch the video above, via Fox News.
