CNN anchor Jake Tapper rebuked President Trump and his team for using campaign tactics that he said are designed to distract from the coronavirus pandemic.
He posted the criticism on Sunday after Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., shared an Instagram post that insinuated Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, engaged in pedophilia.
“President Trump and his team are launching an unprecedented smear campaign against rivals, leveling wild and false allegations against critics in the media and politics, ranging from bizarre conspiracy theories to spreading lies about pedophilia and even murder,” Tapper wrote.
“These smear campaigns are unmoored from reality. They’re deranged and indecent and seem designed at least in part to distract us from the horrific death, health, and economic crisis caused by the pandemic. The pandemic, which impacts you, is what we will continue to focus on,” he added.
2/ These smear campaigns are unmoored from reality. They’re deranged and indecent and seem designed at least in part to distract us from the horrific death, health, and economic crisis caused by the pandemic. The pandemic, which impacts you, is what we will continue to focus on.
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 17, 2020
Trump addressed the Instagram post after New York Times political correspondent Jonathan Martin posted about it on Twitter.
“1. The 3 emojis in the caption should indicate to anyone with a scintilla of common sense that I’m joking around. 2. If the media doesn’t want people mocking & making jokes about how creepy Joe is, then maybe he should stop the unwanted touching & keep his hands to himself?” he tweeted.
1. The 3 ? emojis in the caption should indicate to anyone with a scintilla of common sense that I’m joking around.
2. If the media doesn’t want people mocking & making jokes about how creepy Joe is, then maybe he should stop the unwanted touching & keep his hands to himself? https://t.co/Jy98aq6yWD pic.twitter.com/Kcr9jdPSbC
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) May 16, 2020
On Monday, Eric Trump, the executive vice president of his father’s former company, tweeted an online poll to ask users if they would trust Biden with their children.
Question: Would you trust Joe Biden to drive your child to school?
— Eric Trump (@EricTrump) May 18, 2020
