Jake Tapper tried his best to get Ron Johnson and Sean Duffy to disparage President Trump, but the Republicans weren’t taking the bait.

The CNN host cited a fiery Truth Social post that Trump unleashed after his epic SOTU address, where he slammed “Squad” reps Ilham Omar and Rashida Talib for acting like ‘lunatics’ while he was speaking Tuesday night.

“[T]hey had the bulging, bloodshot eyes of crazy people, LUNATICS, mentally deranged and sick who, frankly, look like they should be institutionalized,” Trump vented. “[W]e should send them back from where they came — as fast as possible.”

“Rashida Tlaib is an American citizen, born in this country,” Tapper told Johnson. “And of course, Ilhan Omar was a refugee and is an American citizen as well. Obviously, a lot of people have issues with anyone heckling any president. But don’t you think this goes a little far? I mean, definitionally, telling people of color they should go back where they came from when they’re American citizens, doesn’t that strike you as a bit racist?”

Johnson dismissed the tired talking point and used the opportunity to highlight the Democrats’ disgraceful behavior that was on full display throughout the event.

“Well, being in the chamber, it was rude to hear people disrupting the president,” Johnson began.

“I think what really amazed me is when the president asked Democrats just to reaffirm a basic principle that the American government’s primary duty, first duty, ought to be to protect American citizens, not illegal immigrants, illegal aliens. I was shocked that the vast majority, if not all Democrats, just sat on their hands like a bunch of sourpusses, quite honestly. That is a basic principle that every elected official ought to embrace. And Democrats refuse to do it.”

Tapper also failed to get his “gotcha moment” while speaking to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

“[Trump] said, ‘these people are crazy I’m telling you, they’re crazy.’ That’s not something we ever heard from Obama or Biden from that stage,” Tapper whined.

Without hesitation, Duffy, much like Johnson, expertly turned the tables.

“We’ve never had a Speaker rip up a speech either. We’re talking about trucking…” Duffy shot back as he left Tapper looking utterly deflated.

JAKE TAPPER: “He said, ‘these people are crazy I’m telling you, they’re crazy.’ That’s not something we ever heard from Obama or Biden from that that stage.”

SEAN DUFFY: “We’ve never had a Speaker rip up a speech either”

This is why Trump likes TV guys in his cabinet. pic.twitter.com/4c2NrUvHGu

— Thomas Hern (@ThomasMHern) February 25, 2026

Bravo!

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