CNN’s Tapper blasts Trump for hiding from press and making “false” claims about Paris climate agreement

Tapper: “This is part and parcel of a White House trying to operate in something close to an accountability-free zone”

From the June 22 edition of CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper:

Video file

JAKE TAPPER (HOST): After the president's admission today [that he did not make tapes of his conversations with James Comey], the White House held a press briefing in which cameras were banned, and the audio was not provided live. Rather, it was released after the fact, which is odd and unusual, and this is about more than just one weird claim of tapes. This is part and parcel of a White House trying to operate in something close to an accountability-free zone where they don't have to go on TV live and defend aberrant behavior on Twitter or explain the false things that the president says at rallies before supporters, things like this, said last night in Iowa about the Paris climate deal.

[BEGIN VIDEO CLIP]

DONALD TRUMP: And they all say it's nonbinding. Like hell it's nonbinding.

[END VIDEO CLIP]

TAPPER: It's nonbinding. It is. That's just a fact. You know who told me that? A really good senior administration official source.

[BEGIN VIDEO CLIP]

TRUMP: As of today, the United States will cease all implementation of the nonbinding Paris accord.

[END VIDEO CLIP]

TAPPER: “The nonbinding Paris accord.” I would ask the president about this inconsistency, but he is limiting his interviews, generally excluding all but the friendliest of media outlets. At the same time, his White House is limiting televised press briefings and answering basic questions, instead saying, “The president has been very clear” when he has been anything but, or responding, “The tweet speaks for itself” when the tweet most certainly does not, as was made clear just today. 

Related:

ThinkProgress: Trump can’t decide whether the Paris agreement is binding

Previously:

Here’s why media should steer clear of Trump’s bogus Paris agreement talking points

Trump's exit from Paris agreement underscores the media’s catastrophic climate change failure during the campaign

Former Bush administration official: Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris agreement “would harm every American” and “devastate our international credibility”

Newspaper editorials warn Trump it would be dangerous to ditch Paris climate agreement