CNN anchor Jake Tapper sparred with Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) on Thursday over public officials using Twitter to criticize their opponents, with Tapper accusing the Republican lawmaker of turning a blind eye to such behavior in his own party.
In a series of tweets, Tapper responded to Cornyn who quoted an op-ed warning that President Biden’s nominee for the No. 2 spot at the Justice Department would target her political opponents if confirmed.
“The nominee for Associate AG Vanita ‘Gupta graciously pledged to stop attacking people on Twitter if confirmed. But if confirmed she won’t need Twitter to go after her political opponents. She will have the power of the U.S. government behind her,’ ” Cornyn tweeted, quoting the right-leaning Powerline blog. “‘That’s scary.'”
Tapper, who hosts CNN’s “The Lead” as well as “State of the Union,” responded by mockingly noting how he “can’t imagine” what it would be like if “someone in government” used Twitter to target their political opponents, an apparent reference to former President Trump’s frequent use of the platform for such purposes.
“Yeah can’t imagine what it would be like if someone in government attacked people on twitter,” Tapper responded.
Tapper’s tweet prompted a second back-and-forth between the two men, with Cornyn asking if Tapper “approve[s]” of such behavior.
“For a half decade you’ve been as quiet as a church mouse about twitter attacks from someone with far more power than an associate attorney general,” the CNN host shot back. “The question isn’t about my standards. It’s about where yours have been.”
The Hill has reached out to CNN for comment.
Tapper has increasingly sparred with GOP lawmakers over their support for the former president and in particular his false claims about the 2020 election results in the weeks leading up to the deadly riot at the Capitol in January.
In late January, Tapper fiercely criticized Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (Pa.) over the issue, telling the Republican lawmaker that he would personally question the patriotism of anyone who defended their actions regarding efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in response to the deadly attack on Congress.
“I question the patriotism of anyone who spreads election lies, signs on to a mendacious Supreme Court lawsuit, and votes to disenfranchise millions of voters — including your own!! — especially with blood on the floor after a terrorist attack,” he told the GOP lawmaker that month, adding: “You betrayed your own voters.”