Jake Tapper caught 'making [his] patented Orange Man Bad exception again,' this time when covering Jen Psaki's about-face on airstrikes in Syria

Sarah D | 3:26 PM on February 26, 2021

Airstrikes are goo(D) again, guys.

Take it from Jen Psaki, who’s had quite a change of heart since she tweeted this in 2017:

Also what is the legal authority for strikes? Assad is a brutal dictator. But Syria is a sovereign country.

— Jen Psaki (@jrpsaki) April 7, 2017

And it was still a sovereign country last night when her boss, President Joe Biden, ordered the airstrike.

pic.twitter.com/MgPEJVkjgq

— Siraj Hashmi in Gitmo (@SirajAHashmi) February 26, 2021

What’s nice for Jen is that when she finds herself in an awkward position like this, she knows she can count on Real Journalists like CNN’s Jake Tapper to have her back:

In light of last night's US attack on bases in Syria, Psaki was asked about this 2017 tweet on AF1 just now, per @KaitlanCollins, and the @PressSec cited the NSC reason on legal authority about Article II of the Constitution and said there was a thorough legal review.

1/2 https://t.co/pWy9bWwF6I

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) February 26, 2021

2/ Her 2017 tweet, Psaki said, was in ref to an "attack on Syrian military installations in response to a chemical weapons attack. Last night was a strike on militant groups in defense of US personnel under attack in Iraq. There is a massive difference in both policy and law."

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) February 26, 2021

Jake Tapper is very, very good at straightforward reporting without editorializing. At least when a Democrat is in the hot seat.

GP No sane, responsible person believes this distinction regardless of what Ms Psaki would like them to believe.

Now, media will certainly parrot this line as gospel truth but they're not so dumb as to actually believe it themselves. https://t.co/wAFucsKLdB

— The Gormogons (@Gormogons) February 26, 2021

Let’s be clear: we have no problem whatsoever with Jake Tapper simply reporting what people said. The problem is when journalists like Jake Tapper so brazenly refuse to extend that same courtesy to Republicans and conservatives. If you’re going to editorialize and let your personal bias bleed into your reporting, fine. Then own it. Don’t hide behind a mask of objectivity and professionalism. You don’t get to selectively enforce the rules of journalism and expect not to be called out for it.

I see you're making your patented Orange Man Bad exception again. It used to be funny, but now it's kind of pathetic. Find a new gig worthy of your talents, such as a street mime.

— Physics Geek (@physicsgeek) February 26, 2021

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Siraj Hashmi has put together a helpful visual to illustrate why airstrikes are ackshually good when Joe Biden orders them [pics]