Jake Tapper battled Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) in a fiery debate over what the NCS anchor termed a “call for genocide” of the Iranian folks by President Donald Trump.
Middway via interview on NCS’s State of the Union Sunday, Tapper requested Stefanik whether or not she condemns calls for genocide throughout the board.
“You were praised by many in the Jewish community when you criticized the college presidents who refused to condemn students for chanting ‘From the river to the sea,’ which many Jews interpret to be, and you agreed — you characterized it as a genocide, a call for genocide, to wipe out all the Jews in Israel ‘From the river to the sea.’” Tapper stated. “So just to be clear, you believe that wiping out an entire civilization is genocidal and nobody should make a call to do such a thing?
“Yes, of course,” Stefanik replied. “And that’s why the question I asked, which was, does calling for the genocide of Jews violate your university’s code of conduct, yes or no? I worded it because it was a very simple straightforward question. It was not a political one. And the world heard as these universities equivocated saying it depends on the context or it’s a context-dependent decision. It is not.”
The follow-up from Tapper kicked off a fiery six-minute showdown.
“What did you think when President Trump threatened to obliterate the entire Iranian civilization?” Tapper requested — referencing the April 7 Truth Social post in which Trump threatened “a whole civilization will die.”
Stefanik defended the president.
“He was focusing on the Iranian regime,” Stefanik stated. “And what did it do? It brought the Iranians to the table. It led to the ceasefire. We know that President Trump has very strong statements when it comes to his tweets, but it has been targeted towards the Iranian terrorist regime.”
“He said the entire civilization will die,” Tapper responded.
“He was focused on the Iranian terrorist regime,” Stefanik shot again. “And Jake, isn’t it true that it brought the Iranians to the table to a cease-fire agreement?
“I don’t know,” Tapper stated.
“It did, because they had a ceasefire agreement going on for days,” Stefanik stated. “And President Trump is correct to call out the Iranian terrorist regime, which has financed Hamas and Hezbollah, which I believe has led to some of the financing of the skyrocketing antisemitism.”
“Yes, but I’m not talking about the regime,” Tapper stated.
“Jake, you can ask this question, but the reality is it was targeted towards the Iranian terrorist regime,” Stefanik stated. “It was an effective tool to bring them to the table. They have no cards.”
But Tapper returned to Trump’s unique quote to press Stefanik on her declare that the president’s feedback had been directed towards the Iranian regime.
“He said — quote — ‘Your whole civilization will die tonight,’” Tapper stated. “He didn’t say the regime will be wiped out. He said, ‘Your whole civilization will die tonight.’ And I just have to say it’s interesting that a 20-year-old college kid on a campus yelling ‘From the river to the sea,’ that’s worthy of condemnation, but a President of the United States who actually has—”
Stefanik interrupted to ask, “You don’t think it’s worthy of condemnation? Jake, you don’t think it’s worthy of condemnation of students that are targeting Jewish students, that are physically assaulting them, that are spitting in their face, that are drawing swastikas on their doors, these students who have to hire security?”
“I don’t need a lesson on what it’s like to be a Jewish student,” Tapper replied.
“But you’re equivocating, like those university presidents,” Stefanik stated.
“I’m not equivocating at all,” Tapper stated. He added, “I’m asking if you’re equivocating.”
“What I have said about President Trump’s tweets is, it has been very targeted,” Stefanik stated. “I’m not equivocating.”
Tapper proceeded to name out Stefanik for what he thought-about a double-standard.
“But when it comes to a president threatening to wipe out an entire civilization…you’re applying two different standards here,” Tapper stated.
“He is targeting the Iranian terrorist regime,” Stefanik responded. “Everyone seems to understand that Jake, except for NCS.”
Tapper made clear that he’s “not supporting the regime,” and added, “I just think a call for genocide on a college campus and a call for genocide made by the “resident of the United States, like, they’re both bad, right?”
“I condemn genocide across the board,” Stefanik stated. She added, “President Trump didn’t call for genocide, Jake. You are putting those words in his mouth.”
“Your entire civilization will die?” Tapper replied.
“It’s the terrorist regime, Jake,” the congresswoman stated. “He’s targeting the terrorist regime.”
“You’re changing his words,” Tapper stated. He added later, “what is wiping out an entire civilization?”
After Stefanik once more argued Trump was merely concentrating on his feedback to the Iranian regime, Tapper stated “agree to disagree,” and tried to finish the interview. But the dialog went on for one other few moments earlier than Tapper might wrap.
“President Trump was not calling for genocide,” Stefanik stated. “Shame on NCS for saying that.”
“I read the quote,” Tapper replied. “Thank you so much.”
Watch above, through NCS.
The submit Jake Tapper Grills Elise Stefanik on Trump’s ‘Call for Genocide’ in Fiery NCS Showdown: He Said the Entire Iranian ‘Civilization Will Die’ first appeared on Mediaite.