Even Jake Tapper seems to think CNN’s North Korea puff piece is absurd

CNN star Jake Tapper appeared to troll his own network on Sunday night when he tweeted against media members who “hate” American leaders more than they “hate the Kim Jong Un regime” on the heels of CNN being mocked for a glowing puff piece about Kim Jong Un’s sister.

“If you hate US leaders more than you hate the Kim Jong Un regime, you really need to read up on North Korea,” Tapper wrote. He also attached three links to websites that highlight various human rights violations that North Koreans face on a regular basis.

The dictator’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, appeared at the Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and CNN reported over the weekend that she was “stealing the show.” The article, published Saturday afternoon, began with these cooing words about the woman who gave South Korean President Moon Jae-in an invite to visit North Korea:

“If ‘diplomatic dance’ were an event at the Winter Olympics, Kim Jong Un’s younger sister would be favored to win gold. With a smile, a handshake and a warm message in South Korea’s presidential guest book, Kim Yo Jong has struck a chord with the public just one day into the Pyeongchang Games.”

CNN did not immediately respond when asked if Tapper was referring to his own network. CNN did not immediately make Tapper available for comment.

The controversial article barely referenced the North Korean regime's murderous ways -- and critics called out CNN for it. Still, despite the almost-immediate backlash from people on both sides of the political aisle, CNN has not taken down its story.

Tapper also retweeted a message from CNN contributor and New York Post columnist Salena Zito that said, “I am deeply saddened by how my profession has normalized and glamorized this murderous regime… And then we wonder why no one trusts us.”

CNN’s pro-Kim Yo Jong story was widely panned by media members on both sides of the political aisle. She is an increasingly prominent figure in her brother’s government and the first member of the North’s ruling family to visit the South since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.

The New York Times, NBC and Reuters are among other news organizations that were criticized for glorifying North Korea over the weekend as the Pyeongchang Games kicked off, but Tapper was presumably aware of the backlash CNN had already received when he sent his tweet.

Followers took notice and the comments on Tapper’s tweet are filled with messages urging the “State of the Union” host to inform his CNN colleagues that Kim Yo Jong shouldn’t be glorified.

When Fox News reached out for comment, CNN would not say whether it would remove the story or discipline any editors over the controversial article.

Fox News’ Frank Miles contributed to this report.