CNN’s Jake Tapper Is Reportedly in the Crosshairs of Republican Operatives, so He Created #TapperDirtFiles

By Jacob Weindling  |  February 8, 2017 | 4:44pm
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CNN’s Jake Tapper Is Reportedly in the Crosshairs of Republican Operatives, so He Created #TapperDirtFiles
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Jonathan Swan at Axios reported today that:

A source with direct knowledge tells Axios that Republican operatives were urging at least one conservative-friendly website to write Jake Tapper hit pieces yesterday after his hard-hitting interview with Kellyanne Conway.

Here is a snippet of the interview that supposedly rankled some in the Republican Party.

Tapper reached out to Swan this morning to ask if this was speculation or reporting, and upon getting confirmation, officially threw down the gauntlet.

He then created the hashtag #TapperDirtFile, beginning with a gem that cut right to this sports fan’s funny bone.

If you’re unfamiliar with what “Santa had it coming” means, check out the video explaining why Santa Claus got pelted with snow balls at an Eagles game. Philly sports fans don’t mess around. Here are some other #TapperDirtFiles straight from the horse’s mouth:

Plenty of others joined the fun as well, with Tapper retweeting all of the following (note: his profile states “RT do not = endorsement”).

(Carson Wentz is the 24-year-old rookie quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles.)

Tapper quoted this Bradley Moss tweet and said “Because it was totally fetch!”

And finally, kudos to @VladamirTootin for coming up with easily my favorite #TapperDirtFile of the day.

This is our best weapon against the evil permeating our world: humor. Comedy is not only a reaction, but an antidote to pain, and it inherently reveals hypocrisy. Jake Tapper is the ultimate pro, as he has become something of a cult hero amongst liberals since Trump’s inauguration, and had already gained the respect of conservatives by being one of the few journalists consistently questioning the Obama administration in a sea of fawning.

News anchors are supposed to be stuffy, but Tapper has taken that persona and molded it to fit the 21st century. His 4 pm EST broadcast has become this writer’s new daily news recap, as it has seemingly embraced a tone straight out of Seinfeld—as every official line about whatever nonsense is currently spewing from Trumplandia is layered with an incredulous tone to the viewer of “can you believe this shit?” Jake Tapper is the hero Gotham deserves AND the one it needs right now.

Jacob Weindling is Paste’s business and media editor, as well as a staff writer for politics. Follow him on Twitter at @Jakeweindling.

 
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