President Donald Trump has been given a kicking by CNN anchor Jake Tapper, who refused to give him an attaboy for his war in Iran.
Trump attacked media outlets he regards as hostile “fake news” on Friday by moaning on Truth Social: “Why don’t they just say, at the right time, JOB WELL DONE, MR. PRESIDENT, and start to gain back their credibility???”
“So Jake, that’s a simple question,” Stephen Colbert asked CNN’s chief Washington correspondent on Monday’s episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. “Why don’t we just say job well done? How hard is that? What would that hurt if you just said, ‘Job well done,’ and then later ask what the job was?”
“But in terms of job well done, let’s just deconstruct it,” Tapper responded. “It’s not done.”
Colbert then mocked Trump’s repeated insistence that the conflict is almost done, despite continued rhetoric threatening Iran and the two-week ceasefire threatening to expire.
“President Trump is literally threatening to blow up the entire country yesterday,” Tapper said. “Iran, not ours.”
“Now you’re nitpicking,” Colbert came back.
“That’s my job… I don’t have to look very far for when it comes to things to question... the government about this war.”
The two men then discussed the jumbled messaging from the White House, particularly whether a new round of peace talks was expected and, if so, who would be sent as part of the delegation to represent the U.S.
“And like... we still don’t even know if the peace talks in Pakistan are going to happen,” Tapper said.
The last round of talks ended with no material gain, as Vice President JD Vance left Islamabad, where they were being held, empty-handed.
Since then, there has been confusion about which members of Trump’s inner circle would go and represent his interests in Asia this time around.
Joking about what the U.S. could get out of a deal, Tapper said, “The straight Hormuz could reopen perhaps. It could reopen... We were told… that was a done deal and then it wasn’t a done deal. And I think yesterday, I lose track, President Trump announced that the U.S. had fired upon an Iranian vessel and, so, I mean, it’s not done. That’s my whole point... Why did I not say job well done?”
“The Failing New York Times, FAKE NEWS CNN, and others, just don’t know what to do,” Trump spewed in his Friday post. “They are desperately looking for a reason to criticize President Donald J. Trump on the Iran situation, but just can’t find it. Why don’t they just say, at the right time, JOB WELL DONE, MR. PRESIDENT, and start to gain back their credibility???”
At the time of writing, it is unclear whether further talks between the U.S. and Iran will proceed, as the fragile ceasefire nears its expiration on Wednesday.
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
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