CNN host Jake Tapper on Tuesday absolutely skewered GOP frontrunner Donald Trump’s suggestion that his rival’s father was somehow connected to Lee Harvey Oswald, the man who assassinated President John F. Kennedy.
Tapper’s spiel, which lasted about two minutes, tore apart Trump for repeating an unsubstantiated report from the National Enquirer that claimed Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) father appeared in a photo with Oswald around the time of the murder. Tapper characterized the report as “bizarre” and “completely uncorroborated.”
“Every time you think this race couldn’t get anymore ludicrous it does,” Tapper said in introducing the segment.
Tapper looked straight into the camera for the duration of his lecture, putting air quotes around the word “story” when describing the supermarket tabloid’s report.
“I can’t believe I have to say the following, but there is no corroborated evidence that Ted Cruz’s father ever met Lee Harvey Oswald or for that matter any other presidential assassin,” Tapper said. “We in the media don’t talk about it because there’s no evidence of it.”
Tapper pointed out that Cruz’s father, Rafael, had denounced the Castro regime before the photograph was taken because his sister had been beaten by regime forces.
“So any suggestion that Cruz’s father played a role in the Kennedy assassination is ridiculous and frankly, shameful,” Tapper said. “Now that’s not an anti-Trump position or a pro-Cruz position. It’s a pro-truth position.”
The CNN host also noted in the segment that the National Enquirer and Trump have a cozy relationship. Trump and the tabloid’s CEO, David Pecker, are reported to be close friends and the gossip rag has endorsed Trump’s presidential campaign.
Watch Tapper’s commentary below:
This is two and a half minutes of must-see TV. @JakeTapper explaining and debunking the Cruz/Oswald “story” https://t.co/JGqJDp9sUj
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) May 3, 2016