‘Not True’: Tapper Calls Out Ossoff’s False Claim Loeffler Campaigned With Klansman

A impolite shock maybe for Jon Ossoff. A pleasing one for these of us unaccustomed to CNN hosts calling out Democrats who do not inform the reality.

On his State of the Union present this morning, Jake Tapper flatly known as out Ossoff, one of many Democrat candidates within the Georgia Senate run-offs, for falsely accusing Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler of “campaigning with a Klansman.”

Tapper did not mince phrases along with his opening:

“That’s not true. I imply, it’s true {that a} former member of the Klan took a photograph with Senator Loeffler at a marketing campaign occasion. Her marketing campaign says she did not know who he was on the time and she or he has condemned him. I’m certain you have taken photographs with 1000’s of strangers. 

“Isn’t it important for candidates to tell the truth?”

Ouch!

Ossoff went off on a sanctimonious spiel, by no means straight addressing Tapper’s problem to his veracity. When Ossoff lastly ran out of wind, Tapper delivered his parting shot:

“All right. But just to be clear, she was not campaigning with a Klansman. That wasn’t true what you said.”

Our NewsBusters colleagues have documented Tapper’s liberal-leaning commentary, as right here and right here.

But credit score the place it is due. This morning, Tapper displayed how journalists can fact-check each side, which might result in larger credibility for CNN.

Note it wasn’t simply Tapper’s phrases that had been skeptical. Check the screencap for the expression on Jake’s face as he took Ossoff to process. 

Jake Tapper calling on Ossoff on his false declare that Kelly Loeffler campaigned with a Klansman was sponsored partially by Ensure and Progressive.

Here’s the transcript.

CNN
State of the Union
1/3/21
9:36 am ET

JAKE TAPPER: You attacked Senator Loeffler this week, Loeffler, who’s operating towards Raphael Warnock. You stated that, quote, Kelly Loeffler has been campaigning with a Klansman, unquote. 

That’s not true. I imply, it’s true {that a} former member of the Klan took a photograph with Senator Loeffler at a marketing campaign occasion. Her marketing campaign says she did not know who he was on the time and she or he has condemned him. I’m certain you have taken photographs with 1000’s of strangers.

Isn’t it necessary for candidates to inform the reality? 

JON OSSOFF: It is. And it is much more distressing that this is not an remoted incident. Kelly Loeffler has repeatedly posed for images and been seen campaigning alongside radical white supremacists. And I imagine they’re drawn to her marketing campaign as a result of her marketing campaign was consisted nearly completely of racist assaults on the Black Lives Matter motion and on the black church. And so the truth that these components proceed to be drawn to her, to assist her, to marketing campaign alongside her, to look in photographs subsequent to her, is deeply distressing. 

And it is occurring on the similar time that Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue and Georgia Republicans are launching a vicious assault on voting rights in Georgia. Lawsuit after lawsuit to disenfranchise black voters, purge the rolls, take away poll drop packing containers. And I imagine that one of many causes we’re seeing such record-shattering turnout in Georgia proper now’s that Georgians are defying these efforts to tear away their voting rights, and standing up and saying, we’re goint to make our voices heard. 

TAPPER: All proper. But simply to be clear, she was not campaigning with a Klansman. That wasn’t true what you stated.