Additional Coverage:
- CNN’s Jake Tapper praised for giving ‘masterclass’ in journalism as he ‘corners’ Kristi Noem (themirror.com)
CNN’s Jake Tapper Confronts Homeland Security Secretary on Use of Force and Double Standards
CNN journalist Jake Tapper earned widespread praise this past Sunday for his sharp interview with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on “State of the Union.” Tapper pressed Secretary Noem on her defense of a recent ICE shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which resulted in the death of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and mother of three.
Secretary Noem had previously characterized Good’s actions as those of a “domestic terrorist,” alleging she attempted to ram officers with her car. In a pivotal moment of the interview, Tapper used this argument against the Secretary, presenting video footage of participants in the January 6 Capitol riot, many of whom were supporters of former President Donald Trump. He then posed a direct question: by her own standard, would officers have been justified in shooting those rioters who were physically attacking law enforcement?
“Those are law enforcement officers being physically attacked,” Tapper stated after airing the footage. “By this standard, would any of those officers be justified in shooting and killing the people causing them physical harm?”
Secretary Noem responded with a pause, then replied, “Every single situation is going to rely on the situation those officers are in, but they know that when people are putting hands on them, when they are using weapons against them, when they are physically harming them, that they have the authority to arrest those individuals.”
Tapper then highlighted a critical point: “The president pardoned every single one of those people.”
Secretary Noem countered, “And every single one of these investigations comes in the full context of the situation on the ground, and that’s one thing that President Trump has been so focused on is making sure that when we’re out there we don’t pick and choose which situations are in which laws are enforced and which ones aren’t.”
The exchange resonated strongly with viewers, many of whom took to social media to commend Tapper for his pointed comparison and for holding the administration accountable. One viewer remarked, “HOLY HELL: JAKE TAPPER just cornered Kristi Noem on live TV.
He showed undisputed video of Jan. 6 rioters attacking police, then reminded her Trump pardoned all of them. Noem claimed Trump enforces the law ‘equally.’
Tapper shut it down: That’s not true. There’s one standard for Trump supporters and another for everyone else.
Receipts matter.”
Another commenter praised Tapper’s efforts, stating, “Hell yeah its time to stand up to all of that gaslighting coming from the administration.” The sentiment was echoed by others, with one adding, “Well played @jaketapper, well played!” and another noting, “Awesome, so glad to see but it’s got to be EVERY time they lie.”
A fifth viewer lauded Tapper’s performance as a “masterclass,” emphasizing the importance of live fact-checking and journalism in holding power accountable. “Noem had no answer for the video evidence because there is no answer that doesn’t admit to a double standard,” they wrote. “Watch her face when the ‘equal law’ line hits the reality of the Jan 6 footage.”