House Speaker Mike Johnson asked CNNs Jake Tapper to stop talking about the late Arnold Palmers manhood during a back-and-forth Sunday focused on former President Donald Trumps mental fitness.
At his Latrobe, Pennsylvania rally Saturday, Trump went on a 12-minute tangent about Palmer, the late professional golfer who was born in the western Pennsylvania town, insinuating at one point that he was well-endowed.
On his State of the Union show, Tapper thrice referenced Arnold Palmers penis as he asked Johnson to explain how this is a potent message for Pennsylvania voters.
Ill address it. Let me answer it. OK. Dont say it again. We dont have to say it. I get it, Johnson responded.
He then answered that it was par for the course for Trump to share wacky stories while on the campaign trail.
CNNs Jake Tapper (left) thrice asked House Speaker Mike Johnson (right) Sunday about former President Donald Trump bringing up the late Arnold Palmers manhood at a rally in Latrobe, Pennsylvania Saturday - where Palmer is from
When President Trump is at a rally, sometimes hell speak for two straight hours, Johnson pointed out. Youre questioning his stamina, his mental acuity? Joe Biden couldnt do that for five minutes.
Thats how you started this segment. You said, "What if Biden was in a rally like that?" Johnson charged. He couldnt fill the room. Donald Trump does because they see him as a change agent.
Tapper had pointed out that 81-year-old President Joe Biden, who ditched his reelection bid in July over old-age concerns, would have been hammered by conservatives if he had gone onstage and spoke about the size of a pro-golfers penis.
I think you would be on this show right now saying you were shocked and appalled and you would suggest it was evidence of his cognitive decline, Tapper said.
The CNN anchor also pointed to Trumps Monday town hall, where he listened to music and swayed onstage for more than 30 minutes after two supporters collapsed, as well as comments the GOP nominee made about using the military on his critics.
Tapper noted that The New York Times had looked at Trumps speeches from 2015 and 2016 and compared them to the ones hes delivered during the 2024 cycle, finding that theyve become darker, harsher, longer, angrier, less focused, more profane and increasingly fixated on the past.
And I know you want to talk about policy, and I respect that. But the reason that Donald Trump is not up ten points is because of comments like that one where people do have concerns about his fitness, his acuity and his stability, Tapper argued. Why is he talking about Arnold Palmers penis in front of Pennsylvania voters?
Former President Donald Trump campaigned in Latrobe, Pennsylvania on Saturday. Latrobe is the birthplace of Arnold Palmer, who passed away in 2016, before Trump won the presidential election
Johnson interjected, Jake, you seem to like that line a lot.
Let me just say something - I dont want to be talking about this. Donald Trump is out there saying it, Tapper said.
Tapper said that he continued to bring it up because Johnson wouldnt address it.
Ill address it, Johnson said, then deploying the Biden dig.
So he has fun at the rallies, Johnson went on. He says things that are off the cuff. But Im telling you, Ive been in those events, Ive been in those arenas and people have a great time at those arenas.
So you can cherry pick, you know, a few words or lines out of a two-hour event. We could do that with Kamala Harris after a 20-minute event because she does word salads, Johnson said.
Tapper replied with a smirk.
And she couldnt, she couldnt hold court like that without a teleprompter, Johnson said. We all know the facts, the American people see it and, you know, the media can pick it up, but people are going to vote. Theyre going to vote whats best for their family. And they see that in Trump.