‘Auditioning for Fox News’: Liberal Twitter Loses Minds Over Jake Tapper Tweeting Washington Examiner Article
CNN’s Jake Tapper was a top trending topic for hours Wednesday as the left side of Twitter reacted to him tweeting an article from the Washington Examiner, with more than one user relating the tweet to the new “tone” that Chris Licht has been working on bringing to the network.
On Tuesday, Tapper posted an article about the Pennsylvania election, a frequent topic of his Twitter feed. The Dr. Oz campaign made even more crudités news after suggesting that opponent John Fetterman wouldn’t have had a stroke if he had eaten more vegetables in his life. Tapper covered that story on The Lead, in a none too flattering segment calling the Oz campaign “nasty.”
But among the tweets, retweets, and a segment about it on his show, there was one tweet with no commentary that set the whole left side of the internet on fire, so intolerant of the source were the offended blue checks.
Zito: Oz cannot out-meme Fetterman, but he can out-work and defeat him https://t.co/vMpH1EGFgr
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) August 24, 2022
The website: Washington Examiner. The byline: Salena Zito. The lede: “One thing Dr. Mehmet Oz will never be able to do is to out-cool John Fetterman.”
The reaction: YEARGH!!
The outrage swarm was led by Democrat strategist Adam Parkhomenko, who similarly staged an anti-Dana Bash revolt last year over her analysis not being sufficiently Democrat.
He tweeted that it’s “probably time to unfollow” Tapper for sharing a Washington Examiner link without commentary.
If you are following @jaketapper it is probably time to unfollow him.
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) August 24, 2022
Plus a lot more…
Jared Tapper is at it again. This guy is a fucking mess. https://t.co/goa8TPntBZ
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) August 24, 2022
Sometimes I wonder if Herschel Walker tweets for Tapper
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) August 24, 2022
When Tapper isn’t selling books for Jared and Ivanka he is telling us why Salena Zito thinks “Dr.” Oz can win. I would ask when he is moving to Fox but CNN is under new management. Maybe Tapper can look around at some of his colleagues that continue to be who they always are.
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) August 24, 2022
Bizarre.
— Rachel Vindman 🌻 (@natsechobbyist) August 24, 2022
He covets his job too much as cnn turns right.
— Richard Signorelli (@richsignorelli) August 24, 2022
Yeah not what covet means but anyway, Parkhomenko was far from alone in reacting to Tapper tweeting an article from the publication without comment.
I’ll take “Jake Tapper retweets right wing propaganda” for $200, Alex https://t.co/dWwFMr6NIl
— Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) August 24, 2022
What the hell happened to Jake Tapper? https://t.co/B3Zk2Gd1kh
— Pam Keith, Esq. (@PamKeithFL) August 24, 2022
Jake Tapper criticized me (and the entire media) for not respecting Trump voters enough. I was calling Trump a Nazi forever. Tapper is clearly right wing. https://t.co/frar50s1o4
— Andy Kindler (@AndyKindler) August 24, 2022
Like I said – Journalism is dead. This is ridiculous. John Fetterman won his primary being the ONLY Dem candidate top TRULY campaigned in the ENTIRE STATE. FOH. Also, FYI memes win elections. https://t.co/vXzBoRXykQ
— Confident and she lethal (@LeslieMac) August 24, 2022
@jaketapper now quoting the Washington Examiner. CNN isn’t sinking. It’s already drowned. https://t.co/aj1Wrz8tTw
— Ellen Hopkins (@EllenHopkinsLit) August 24, 2022
I have said FOR YEARS that Jake Tapper and Van Jones are horrible and no one believed me and I got a lot of shit for it.
You ALL owe me an apology. A sincere one.
— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) August 24, 2022
Why are you retweeting a Washington Examiner opinion piece? This isn’t journalism; this is pandering to the new boss. I assumed you were one of the good ones. An honest journalist. What a joke. Chris Cuomo looks like he has more integrity than you at this point.
— Brad Wollack (@BradWollack) August 24, 2022
Apparently new boss.
— David Weissman (@davidmweissman) August 24, 2022
It’s surprising to me that a guy who worked with Stephen Colbert for so many years is pushing CNN into Fox “News” territory. (Not that I watch *any* TV news because they all focus on stupid crap to sell ads.)
— Theresa W. Carey (@twcarey) August 24, 2022
Fox News must have a job opening
— Gregory Anderson (@g_e_anderson) August 24, 2022
First he retweet-plugs Javanka’s book. Now this… 🧐 What’s going on with Jake Tapper auditioning for Fox News? https://t.co/JT3TfYvtUN
— Gregory Anderson (@g_e_anderson) August 24, 2022
In a more typical situation, Tapper was also attacked by ultra-MAGA Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who called him a “Democrat activist” in a tweet this week. His response to that might be at least somewhat applicable here, too.
I see MGT is attacking me so it might be a good reminder for some folks that opposing deranged 9/11 conspiracy theories — to say nothing about her other bigoted statements — isn’t a partisan position, it’s just factual. https://t.co/WuwDIH3lUk
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) August 24, 2022
It’s pretty hard to pin right-wing partisan on anyone at CNN, including Jake Tapper. But there is certainly an upside for Democrat strategists in making it seem that way. The better to dismiss any future legitimate criticism as being merely right wing opinion, obviously.
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