‘Fact Check: True!’ Jake Tapper Roasts Trump for Bizarre Riff on Son’s Wedding

CNN anchor Jake Tapper roasted President Donald Trump over a weird comment he made during a riff on first son Donald Trump Jr.’s upcoming wedding, which he may or may not attend.

The president’s oldest son is marrying Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson in a “small” ceremony on an island in the Bahamas this weekend — but insiders told CNN White House correspondent Alayna Treene that Trump will not be there.

That’s entirely consistent with the response Trump gave when he was asked about the wedding in the Oval Office on Thursday.

On Thursday’s edition of CNN’s The Lead, Tapper bantered with John Avlon and Alyssa Farah Griffin about the exchange, and laughed at one of the more curious things Trump said:

TAPPER: So, speaking of interesting timing, the President was asked today if he plans to attend his son, Donald Trump Jr.’s, upcoming wedding to Florida socialite and model Bettina Anderson, I think, am I pronouncing that right? Bettina Anderson. Here’s his response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your son’s wedding this weekend, by the way?

TRUMP: He’d like me to go, but it’s going to be just a small little private affair, and I’m going to try and make it. I’m in the midst. I said, you know, this is not good timing for me. I have a thing called Iran and other things. That’s one I can’t win on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Alyssa, is he really going to skip Don Jr.’s wedding?

GRIFFIN: You got to go, Mr. President. Please go to your son’s wedding. I’m certain he will go. I think the optics of missing it would be terrible. And I actually think that clip goes on to him say, I’ve known him for a very long time. That is his child, of course.

(LAUGHTER)

TAPPER: That’s true. Fact check, true! He has kno — Donald Trump has known Donald Trump Jr. for a very —

AVLON: Very long time.

GRIFFIN: But I wish the happy couple their best. But, yes, the President —

TAPPER: We all do. And we wish that the father was there.

AVLON: That’d be nice.

TAPPER: Of course. Thanks to both of you.

During the exchange, Trump said, “But he’s uh — and a very — person I’ve known for a long time. And hopefully they’re going to have a great marriage,” which some took as a reference to his son — but may have been directed at Ms. Anderson.

Watch above via CNN’s The Lead.

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