CNN’s Jake Tapper, who is billed as a straight news anchor despite regularly offering his thoughts, bashed President Trump’s final remarks as president as an "embarrassment" willed with "puffery and lies."
Trump spoke at Joint Base Andrews as he was about to fly to Mar-a-Lago in Florida. The presidential Salute battery fired a 21-gun salute with ceremonial artillery guns as Trump walked to the podium to speak.
"We left it all on the field," Trump said of his time as president. "I wish the new administration great luck and great success."
Tapper was not a fan of Trump’s speech and didn’t hide his feelings.
"A fitting end to the Trump presidency. A speech full of puffery and lies, although, of course, with this president, it always could have been worse. There weren't the worst of his typical lies about the election. He did acknowledge that there is an incoming administration," Tapper said.
"But we don't have to grade on a curve. It was an embarrassment that he did not even mention the name of his successor, Joe Biden. And the fact that he is making it all about himself and not about the country at all," Tapper continued.
Tapper’s colleagues then poo-pooed Trump’s remarks about coronavirus, saying he doesn’t deserve credit for the speed of the vaccine rollout because "that was the scientists… the drug makers" who made it happen. Tapped then chided Trump for referring to the pandemic in the past tense.
"In fact, he said as bad as the pandemic was. It's not over," Tapper chimed in. "The pandemic is still going on. We hit 400,000 deaths yesterday."
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Tapper, who recently came under fire for questioning Rep. Brian Mast’s, R-Fla., commitment to democracy - even though the Army veteran lost his legs serving in Afghanistan - got in a final jab as Trump left for Florida.
"There he is, the 45h president of the United States… he leaves with the lowest approval ratings of any president after one term in the history of scientific polling," Tapper said.
Fox News’ Tyler Olson contributed to this report.
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