Jake Tapper Confronts GOP Senator on Trump Tweet About Schiff Not Having ‘Paid the Price, Yet’: He’s ‘Been Getting Death Threats’
CNN’s Jake Tapper confronted Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) about a Sunday morning tweet from President Donald Trump in which he went after House Intelligence committee chair Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA).
In the tweet, Trump wrote that Schiff — who served as the most prominent presenter of the case against the president during the Senate impeachment trial this past week — “has not paid the price, yet, for what he has done to our Country!”
Shifty Adam Schiff is a CORRUPT POLITICIAN, and probably a very sick man. He has not paid the price, yet, for what he has done to our Country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 26, 2020
Tapper grilled Lankford about the tweet.
“Adam Schiff has been getting death threats, sources tell me,” Tapper said. “Do you condemn what the president tweeted?”
Lankford declined to criticize Trump.
“I don’t think the president is trying to do a death threat here,” Lankford said “Or do some sort of intimidation.”
“‘He has not paid the price yet?'” Tapper repeated, incredulously.
“It’s no different than what Adam Schiff and what Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi were saying,” Lankford replied. “That folks will be paying a price at the ballot box.”
Tapper then noted Lankford’s outrage Friday over Schiff quoting a CBS News report in which the Trump team was said to have threatened GOP senators by saying their heads would be “on a pike” if they crossed the president. Lankford replied that he took issue with Schiff because — he claims — it’s not true that such a threat was ever conveyed to GOP senators.
From there, Tapper doubled back to the Trump tweet.
“You’re not offended by that,” Tapper said.
“”I just don’t think it’s a death threat,” Lankford said. “I don’t think he’s encouraging a death threat.”
“”But people who are supporters of the president have heard his rhetoric and then actually tried to bomb and kill politicians and the media,” Tapper replied. “That’s happened.”
Lankford replied that Republicans have been targeted as well — referencing the Congressional baseball shooting.
“I guess I don’t understand why you’re offended at what Adam Schiff said—” Tapper said.
“I’m offended only because Adam Schiff believes that the only reason that we act the way that we do is because the president’s going to put our head on a pike,” Lankford said.
Watch above, via CNN.
