'Pretty telling!' Jake Tapper stunned as Republican's ad strikes a new tone

A MAGA congresswoman's new campaign ad surprised CNN anchor Jake Tapper because it touted her record of working with Democrats.

On Tuesday, Tapper took a look at the ad put out by Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA), who is running for Senate in a key red state amid President Donald Trump's climbing disapproval rating.

"Used to be that reaching across the aisle wasn't just okay, it was expected," Hinson said in the ad. "Some people in Washington forgot that. I never have."

Hinson then goes on to talk about how she worked with Democrats to "expand mental health care for veterans" and "with President Trump to take on health insurance companies to lower your costs." The ad is set inside a movie theater, where she hands a bag of popcorn across the aisle, and it ends with an overweight person, whose face can't be seen, walking in front of her while popcorn drops and his gut spills over his belt.

"I approve this message because working across the aisle isn't always easy, but it's how you get results," Hinson signed off in the ad as the fat man walked into her aisle.

Tapper reacted to the ad by saying, "It's pretty telling that a Republican congresswoman running for Senate in the red state of Iowa feels the need to talk about how much she's willing to work with Democrats."

He added, "It's definitely in the past decade, at least, not been a successful message" to tout working with Democrats. "Or one that's even been tried in red states like Iowa."

However, Hinson's messaging makes sense "with all of this political pressure, as Americans struggle to afford gas and groceries," Tapper said.

"President Trump often appears to remain in denial about the state of the economy," Tapper said. "He occasionally repeats his line about Iran wanting to make a deal. He does, frankly, seem quite preoccupied with making his mark on the architecture of Washington D.C."