Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) defended President Donald Trump, saying he had not called for genocide, and said “shame on CNN for saying that.”
Host Jake Tapper said, “What did you think when President Trump threatened to obliterate the entire Iranian civilization?”
Stefanik said, “He was focusing on the Iranian regime. And what did it do? It brought the Iranians to the table. It led to the ceasefire. We know that President Trump has very strong statements when it comes to his tweets, but it has been targeted towards the Iranian terrorist regime.”
Tapper said, “He said the entire civilization will die.”
Stefanik said, “He was focused on the Iranian terrorist regime. And Jake, isn’t it true that it brought the Iranians to the table?”
Tapper said, “I don’t know.”
Stefanik said, “It did because they had a ceasefire agreement going on for days. And President Trump is correct to call out the Iranian terrorist regime, which has financed Hamas and Hezbollah.”
She continued, “The reality is it was targeted towards the Iranian terrorist regime. It was an effective tool to bring them to the table. They have no cards. And frankly, we’re not going to see peace in the Middle East until we get rid of the Iranian terrorists.”
She added, “President Trump didn’t call for genocide. Jake, you were putting those words in his mouth. He is engaging in diplomatic back and forth.”
Tapper said, “Your entire civilization will die.”
Stefanik said, “It’s the terrorist regime, Jake. He’s targeting the terrorists.”
Tapper said, “You’re changing his words.”
Stefanik said, “You’re adding genocide.”
Tapper said, “What is wiping out an entire civilization?”
Stefanik said, “This is typical CNN. If you want to compare the United States to the university presidents who failed to call for the condemnation of calling for the genocide of Jews, that’s on you, Jake. The world saw how morally equivocating those university presidents were.”
Tapper said, “I’m not defending anything. I’m saying it’s all bad, calling for genocide, calling for wiping out civilizations, whether it’s some knucklehead on a college campus or Mahmoud Khalil or this person or that person or President Trump, all of it’s bad.”
Stefanik said, “President Trump was not calling for genocide, shame on CNN for saying that.”
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