Is President Donald Trump historically unpopular? He must be, because that news comes from CNN anchor Jake Tapper, and we all know that CNN deals only in facts. Tapper, once again, was triggered by President Donald Trump taking a shot at CNN's chief White House correspondent, Kaitlan Collins. Tapper happened upon a post by The Bulwark's Tim Miller sampling a bit from TIME's interview with Trump that was published on Thursday. TIME had asked Trump about his "contentious relationship with the media" and asked why he was banning news outlets now. "Well, it's just bad story after bad story, and when I say bad story, I can handle bad stories. I've got a lot of bad stories," Trump answered. "Most of them are fake, and it's not only CNN, and it's not only MSDNC. It's a lot of other people." TIME then tried to turn the line of questioning to Iran, but Trump wasn't done yet:
… I don't think anybody should be forced to bear fake news, constantly bad stories, because I've done great things. I mean, I've done Venezuela. I've done—I can name, I can name 100 great things I've done. I never get good press. I never get fair press. Doesn’t have to be good. All it has to be is fair. So at a certain point, you say, "What's the purpose of like this crazy Kaitlan Collins?" She's a very average person. She's the most unhappy young person I've ever seen. If I did something spectacular by any standard, and they would write about it, they will only write badly.
Trump is asked about the war in Iran by Time magazine. His reply:
— Tim Miller (@Timodc) October 1, 2026
"What's the purpose of like this crazy Kaitlin Collins?" She's a very average person. She's the most unhappy young person I've ever seen."https://t.co/Xx5SWv5gNd
Tapper, who wouldn't know anything about unfair coverage of the president, jumped in to defend Collins:
She’s a great, aggressive reporter/anchor who asks him tough, substantive questions, as is necessary in our republic.
— Jake Tapper 🦅 (@jaketapper) October 1, 2026
The president is historically unpopular, consumer confidence is way down, and 3/4 of the public thinks we’re on the wrong track. That’s what’s truly at issue. https://t.co/AxNQvWkSO1
Sounding a little defensive there. We know that Tapper and company have been doing everything they can to chip away at Trump's approval rating, but the guy refuses to leave office.
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Tapper quoting a Bulwark oppo shop operative is top tier Tapper
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) October 1, 2026
It’s ok buddy, go back to your reporting about ‘deep fakes’ and ignore stories like Biden’s cognitive decline. When there’s a dem president, we all know the press will go back to parroting White House talking points
— Wilde Seneca (@Real_AEX) October 1, 2026
Jake, as the steward of media freedom, I look forward to your book on the Biden administration’s clearly unethical, if not illegal, searches of private media communications! Hey, can you do a quick hit on it this evening?
— Fiscal Truth (@Liggie) October 1, 2026
She's a partisan hack. Just like you. It's why mainstream media is hemorrhaging viewers.
— Pliny the Middle Child 🇺🇸 (@FellFister13) October 1, 2026
Wrong. The only way she would be great is if she asked the same questions to Democrats. She doesn't.
— Matty Mo (@MontyMatt) October 1, 2026
3/4 of the public think your station is full of partisan hacks. The other 1/4 just like their echo chamber spoon fed to them.
— Fran Russo (@RussofjrRusso) October 1, 2026
It's funny that Tapper is calling Trump "historically unpopular" while CNN's highest-rated show currently ranks 37th out of all cable news programs, behind reruns of Fox News' The Five. Tapper's The Lead came in at 41.
Tapper you have no qualifications to judge great reporting , because you are a lousy one with an agenda. You did nothing while that below mediocre, incapacitated, Crooked Joe Biden was obviously unfit for the office. 😎
— Law Offices of Scot Stuart Brower (@BrowerScot) October 1, 2026
He wrote a book about it, though, after he was sure that Democrats had lost the White House.
You should write a book about him
— Eric Vo (@DrVoDre) October 1, 2026
Jake just proving over and over again why CNN ratings are lower than daytime TV and why no one cared that they were banned
— - | Dank Hank | - (@cl0wnquestion) October 1, 2026
I’m sure you’re working on the book about this, right Jake?
— Comedy of Things (@ComedyOfThings) October 1, 2026
I can’t wait to see whether Jake Tapper finds a new workplace or just learns the new choreography. Same puppet, different strings, new master. I’m sure the sudden change in tune will be purely coincidental.
— Grant Wescott (@GrantWescott) October 1, 2026
You’re a fucking idiot. Everything was more expensive under Biden. Partisan HACK propagandist
— Ms. Ann Thrope (@mollypitcherz76) October 1, 2026
Facts don’t care about feelings. Why do CNN viewers have such a poor view on the economy- when it is demonstrably better than Biden’s? pic.twitter.com/ijsH1Hi8FG
— Lorne Campbell (@lornecolin) October 1, 2026
This might be a cogent point if you had a shred of credibility left.
— CK 🇺🇸 (@maxse01) October 1, 2026
Don't make us post that graphic of all of the hoaxes that historically unpopular CNN has pushed again.
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