Jake Tapper continued his fierce criticism of Donald Trump’s failure to properly manage America’s response to the pandemic, which ultimately resulted in the president himself being hospitalized for COVID-19. In a tweet on Monday afternoon, Tapper took a selfie in the CNN coffee room where he was not only socially distanced, but wearing a mask. The anchor also took a page from the president’s playbook by placing the most important part of his message in all-caps.
“This is me alone in the CNN coffee room abiding by basic health regulations,” Tapper wrote. “BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT ADULTS DO”
https://twitter.com/jaketapper/status/1313184853446348802
The tweet came just a few days after Tapper went viral for a CNN segment where he eviscerated Trump’s dismissive attitude towards basic health regulations, which could’ve slowed the virus spread had people taken them seriously. Instead, many followed the president’s lead. However, that strategy clearly didn’t work for Trump who became a “symbol of his own failures” after being infected by the coronavirus along with 24 other people who attended an event at the White House last Saturday.
Americans who “don’t listen to science or medicine, who think masks are too intrusive, who pack bars, who willfully risk spreading the virus, you are making it worse for all of us. You are extending how long this pandemic will last,” Tapper said. “And it is tragic to say, many — if not most — of you are taking your cues from the leader of the free world.”
You can watch Tapper’s full remarks below:
"Make no mistake, this was not just reckless behavior, this was a demonstration of a wanton disregard for human life. President Trump, now in quarantine, has become a symbol of his own failures."
– @JakeTapper on the President's positive Covid-19 test.https://t.co/LkjlY44i8i pic.twitter.com/R48pFbMT4F
— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) October 2, 2020
In a classic 2020 move, shortly after Tapper posted his selfie, the president tweeted that he was leaving Walter Reed on Monday evening, and the message Trump included highlighted every criticism that Tapper made about not taking the virus seriously.
“Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life,” Trump wrote. “We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!”
Fortunately, Tapper’s CNN colleague, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, was quick to report that it’s “pretty obvious” that Trump should not be leaving the hospital this early. “I think this is his decision and basically him saying, ‘I’m going to do this,’” Gupta said. “I don’t think the doctors, if you’re just looking at his data, you’re paying attention to his risk factors, you’re paying attention to how sick he has been, you would advocate for this at all.”
(Via Jake Tapper on Twitter)