CNN anchor Jake Tapper laid into the founder of the pro-Trump organization Turning Point USA during the Republican National Convention on Monday after a report highlighted anti-semitic remarks he's made. (Screengrab via CNN)
CNN anchor Jake Tapper laid into the founder of the pro-Trump organization Turning Point USA — as well as two Republican lawmakers — during the Republican National Convention on Monday over what he called "blatantly anti-Semitic" remarks they've made in the past.
Charlie Kirk spoke Monday night at the convention, the same day The New York Times highlighted why he's been accused of anti-semitism. Among them: Kirk's defense of Elon Musk's comment appearing to support an antisemitic comment that Jewish people were “'coming to the disturbing realization' that immigrants to the United States 'don’t exactly like them too much.'"
“Jewish communities have been pushing the exact kind of hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them,” Kirk said, among other things, according to the report.
When Kirk took the stage Monday night, Tapper let the audience know his feelings on the subject.
"I just want to point it out — because this is something that the Republican Party has an issue with and they do not reckon with; the Democratic Party has it's own issue — and that is, Charlie Kirk and Turning Points USA has been credibly accused by other conservatives of having an antisemitism problem within its ranks," said Tapper.
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Tapper noted that conservative commentator Erick Erickson wrote Turning Point USA was “looking like not just a grifting operation, but an anti-Semitic grifting operation.”
Tapper also noted that Ben Domenech, co-founder of The Federalist, wrote, “If Charlie Kirk remains the head of TPUSA, the right has an anti-Semite problem that will follow them into the coming elections.”
While the left has also seen antisemitism since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, Tapper emphasized Kirk was the third speaker after North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene who has made "blatantly antisemitic" comments.
"This is a problem in party politics," Tapper said. "And we're going to see this again if the Democrats put up people like this in August. And I think it's beholden upon us to call it out and point it out."
Watch the clip below or at this link.