CNN anchor Jake Tapper expressed rare frustration Thursday as he shouted and openly laughed at a conservative commentator on live television.
Tapper took pundit Shermichael Singleton to task over his attempts to dismiss President-elect Donald Trump's nomination of Matt Gaetz as attorney general and Republicans' response that he would cost too much political capital.
"It's not about, 'Oh my God these are the most horrific charges I've heard, you know, about an attorney general nominee ever in the history of this republic!'" Tapper snapped. "Statutory rape, drugs?"
This came hours after Gaetz withdrew his name to put an end to the "distraction" caused by a House Ethics committee probe into allegations he engaged in sexual misconduct with a minor at a drug-fueled party and concerns he was unfit to lead the Justice Department.
Tapper appeared infuriated that Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) told the press Thursday it was not the disturbing claims that made him hesitant to confirm Gaetz, but "the math" showing there wasn't a viable path to succeed.
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"Where is the sense," Tapper said, "that this is about more than just whether he can get confirmed?"
Singleton struck a soothing tone as he argued that "the math" was proof of Republicans' concerns about the troubling nature of the allegations surrounding Gaetz.
And Democratic strategist Chuck Rocha chimed in to note Republicans were already distancing themselves from an administration shaking the confidence of American voters.
"It's easy for us to sit back and say, 'Look at all of this crazy and look at crazy and crazy,' but this is their own party coming at them in the Senate," said Rocha. "[Voters] are sitting back saying, 'We just voted for change and what we're getting is a clown circus, so I think that's really the big deal here."
When Singleton leaped in to defend Trump's position and dismiss the Gaetz scandal, he faced repeated interjections and outright laughter from Tapper.
When Singleton asked rhetorically if Trump wanted "to be distracted by this within the first 100 days," Tapper shouted, "Apparently!" and started to laugh.
Tapper later cut in to argue Trump only had himself to blame for the "distraction."
"These allegations about Matt Gaetz aren't new," he said. When Singleton tried to claim they were, Tapper laughed again.
"They didn't — they aren't — they didn't explode last week," he said. "We've known about these charges for literally for years."
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