CNN Had Security Escort Trump Aide Out of Building After Heated Interview with Jake Tapper
Reports say White House senior adviser Stephen Miller was escorted out of the building by security after a tense interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” with Jake Tapper, according to Business Insider.
Reportedly, two sources close to the event told Business Insider that Miller was asked to leave several times after the interview was over. After he apparently ignored the requests, security was called to escort him out.
CNN originally declined Business Insider’s request for comment, however, a CNN official later confirmed these claims to The Washington Examiner.
Miller appeared on the cable news program to refute accusations found in author Michael Wolff’s so-called tell-all book about the Trump administration, “Fire & Fury: Inside The Trump White House.”
The book reportedly includes many potentially damaging accusations from former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon.
According to Business Insider, in the book, Bannon — who was fired from the Trump administration in August of last year — claims that a 2016 meeting between Trump campaign officials and a Russian lawyer who has been linked to the Kremlin, was “unpatriotic” and “treasonous”.
He also apparently attacked the president’s eldest daughter, Ivanka Trump, calling the White House adviser “dumb as a brick,” Business Insider reported.
Tapper’s interview with Miller started out cordially, with Miller simply dismissing Wolff’s book, asserting that it was “a pile of trash” and that Wolff was a “garbage author of a garbage book.”
Miller also echoed President Donald Trump’s statements that Bannon’s position at the White House had been greatly exaggerated by the media.
Last week, Trump issued a statement diminishing Bannon’s influence over the White House, as reported by The New York Times.
“Steve Bannon has nothing to do with me or my presidency,” the president said.
“When he was fired he not only lost his job, he lost his mind,” he added.
As reported by Business Insider during the “State of the Union” interview, Tapper pressed Miller on the issue of Bannon’s position at the White House, according to Business Insider.
“Is it really the position of the Trump White House that Steve Bannon had nothing to do with the presidency?” asked Tapper. “Can you acknowledge that he was a key player?”
Miller responded, reaffirming Trump’s assertion that Bannon’s role has been blown out of proportion, while also claiming that CNN only gives the president negative coverage, and doesn’t cover stories about Americans who have supported Trump.
“His role has been greatly exaggerated,” said Miller.
He added that “the president hasn’t gotten the due that he deserves for the movement that he put together to tap into the kinds of people whose life concerns don’t get a lot of attention on CNN.”
From there the interview took a noticeably sharper turn.
The two debated back-and-forth about the actual amount of influence Bannon possessed over the Trump administration, as well as the nature of Trump’s “political genius.”
Miller proceeded to point out the “mainstream media’s” apparent lack of observation about the shift in American politics during the 2016 election cycle.
“A phenomenon was happening that you didn’t see, a phenomenon was happening that the rest of the political class didn’t see,” the White House aide said.
Tapper then cut him off, stating that “The only person who’s called themselves a genius in the last week is the president,” referring to Trump’s Twitter response regarding his mental ability to act as president, following attacks on his mental health.
“Because it happens to be a true statement” responded Miller. “A self-made billionaire, who revolutionized reality TV, who has changed the course of our politics.”
“And I’m sure he’s watching and he’s happy that you said that” responded Tapper.
Miller replied by calling Tapper’s response “condescending,” sending the somewhat stable interview into all-out chaos.
At that point, the two continued to talk over one another, with Miller attempting to speak his mind about what he felt was unfair treatment of Trump by CNN. Meanwhile, Tapper pressed on, trying to proceed with prepared questions about Wolff’s book.
Tapper then abruptly ended the interview by turning to the camera and teasing the next story.
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