CNN host Jake Tapper called out Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance for baselessly claiming that retired Gen. John Kelly coordinated with Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign before calling former President Donald Trump a fascist.
“You said the other day, quote, I guarantee John Kelly talked to somebody on Kamala Harris’ campaign beforehand, before he did this interview,” Tapper noted during a CNN interview with Vance that aired on Sunday.
Tapper said he had “spoken with people in John Kelly’s circle, and I’ve spoken with people in the Kamala Harris campaign.”
“They say there’s been no communication the entire time,” the CNN host explained. “So where did that come from?”
“Oh, I’m highly skeptical of that, Jake,” Vance replied. “You know the way that these attacks work.”
“So you made it up,” Tapper noted.
“No, I said that the American media and the American Democratic Party apparatus works a certain way,” Vance fired back. “And it’s interesting, we’ve now spent, Jake, three minutes talking about John Kelly.”
“If it is true that he never spoke with anyone in Kamala Harris’ orbit, I’m happy to apologize to John Kelly for misstating how he delivered this news to the Atlantic Magazine,” he added.
