In a contentious interview over the weekend, Republican vice-presidential nominee J.D. Vance and CNN host Jake Tapper sparred over accusations aimed at former President Donald Trump, with Tapper repeatedly pressing Vance on recent critical remarks from former Trump associates, including Generals Mark Milley and John Kelly.

Vance, a staunch defender of Trump’s policies, rebuffed the allegations, accusing establishment Republicans and media of pushing narratives to undermine Trump’s campaign.

During the interview, Tapper raised claims from Milley and Kelly, who have publicly called Trump a “fascist” and accused him of praising historical dictators.

Vance countered that these accusations have been widely disputed by multiple sources, including former White House aides, and noted that both Milley and Kelly continued working for Trump until their respective departures from the administration.

The allegations from Milley, who reportedly communicated with Chinese officials during Trump’s presidency to “warn” them, and Kelly’s claims about Trump’s praise for Hitler, were met with skepticism by Vance, who argued that they served as tools for undermining Trump.

Tapper, pushing back, brought up criticisms of Trump from other figures within the Republican establishment, including former Vice President Mike Pence.

When Tapper questioned whether Vance genuinely believed these Republicans were opposed to Trump due to his stance on military action, Vance replied, “Absolutely… absolutely, that’s my argument,” emphasizing his belief that Trump’s non-interventionist stance threatened entrenched interests within Washington.

Tapper responded with exasperation, pressing Vance to clarify if he was truly arguing that Trump’s critics were motivated by a desire to maintain a pro-war agenda.

“Jake, they came into office thinking they could control Donald Trump, then when he said he wanted peace in the world—” Vance responded before being interrupted by Tapper.

The exchange underscored Vance’s view that Trump’s anti-intervention policies have created friction with long-standing Washington interests.

At another point in the interview, Vance criticized CNN’s extensive coverage of the so-called “Russian collusion” story, which alleged connections between Trump’s 2016 campaign and Russian interference.

Vance referenced the years of reporting, saying, “You guys talked about the Russia hoax nonstop,” to which Tapper replied, “The FBI was investigating it.” Vance pushed back, arguing that CNN relied heavily on anonymous sources within the FBI, giving the story credibility without sufficient verification. He accused the network of “covering it in a way that gave credence to anonymous sources and accusations.”

Vance continued, “Your network did it, Jake. But again, can we talk about the issues that Americans care most about?”

Attempting to steer the conversation away from the back-and-forth accusations, Vance pointed to topics he said voters are more focused on, implying that the ongoing media narratives around Trump may distract from pressing policy concerns for Americans.

.@JDVance sends CNN into oblivion for pushing the Russia hoax: “Ask yourself a basic question about network integrity!” pic.twitter.com/sUIRhjXKHX

— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 27, 2024

The fiery exchange reflects ongoing tensions between Trump-aligned Republicans and traditional media, with Vance, who represents the GOP’s more populist wing, vocalizing frustrations over coverage he views as biased.

After the clips of JD Vance and Jake Tapper getting it started to make the rounds on social media, Jack Posobiec and MAZE posted receipts of the CNN host pushing the ‘Russiagate conspiracy theory.’

BREAKING: JD Vance called out Fake Tapper for the lies he pushed about Russiagate earlier this morning

Tapper denied telling any lies

So here are 3.5 minutes of Jake Tapper spreading Russiagate conspiracy theory pic.twitter.com/qeiFMtimx9

— Jack Poso (@JackPosobiec) October 27, 2024

Jake Tapper is a fraud. Don’t let him gaslight.

Night after night, for well over a year, his show was “Russia, Russia, Russia.” pic.twitter.com/or0UHSgxcx

— MAZE (@mazemoore) October 27, 2024

Tapper’s defense of CNN’s reporting and Vance’s criticism highlight a growing divide within the media and political landscape as the election nears.

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