At the conclusion of Sunday's "State of the Union," Jake Tapper joined the Sen. Ted Cruz pile-on after his groveling appearance on Fox News, apologizing to host Tucker Carlson for his comments about the Capitol rioters, with the CNN host noting the Texas Republican's history of flip-flopping on terrorism depending upon the audience he is addressing.
According to Tapper, the insurrectionists that Cruz alternately attacks and defends, were encouraged by the senator himself -- along with Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) -- when they tried to disrupt the certification of President Joe Biden's presidential victory.
"The thing is, it wasn't sloppy phrasing," Tapper began. "Cruz had called the attack 'terrorism' at least 17 times before in written as well as spoken remarks. Frankly, Cruz using the term might seem odd, not because the term is imprecise. The FBI definition of domestic terrorism is 'violent criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences such as those of a political, religious, social, racial or environmental nature'."
"That, of course, is what the attack was, violent and criminal to further a domestic ideological and political goal, specifically to stop the counting of Electoral votes to prevent Joe Biden from becoming president," he continued. "Now, what's odd is that Cruz is voicing opposition to the activity of January 6th, because they were in part inspired by his actions, by his role, and that of Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley, objecting to the electoral votes for Joe Biden which was part of the twisted kabuki theater and incited the very people who attacked the Capitol, ransacking desks in the Senate chamber including Cruz's desk."
The CNN host then added, with video of the riot running alongside him, "Cruz then clarified, the only people he said he was calling terrorists were these people, the ones specifically attacking law enforcement officers. So presumably he was not referring to these people, the ones committing different violent and criminal acts to further a domestic ideological and political goal, just not attacking cops."
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