Fact Check: Did Sylvester Stallone defend Trump after Jake Tapper compared him to a mobster?
WASHINGTON, DC: A claim has been circulating on social media platforms that Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone defended President Donald Trump after CNN anchor Jake Tapper compared him to a mobster, sparking mockery and criticism from netizens. Let us analyze the origins of the viral claim and fact-check its authenticity.
Claim: Sylvester Stallone defended Donald Trump after Jake Tapper's jibe
According to a post circulating on Facebook and X, Jake Tapper assumed that Sylvester Stallone would be on board with bashing President Donald Trump during a recent interview.
The post stated that "after a cordial joke about Stallone's role as a mobster in 'Tulsa King', Tapper thought he'd be witty and compare the character to the president."
"I think that's incredibly disrespectful," Stallone allegedly said, "I may not agree with all of his methods, but the man is a patriot who cares deeply about his people."
The post further claimed that Tapper was "left speechless and had no choice but to cut to a commercial," after which "Stallone was gone when the segment continued."
The claim has triggered mockery and criticism against CNN, while a few others questioned its authenticity.
Fact Check: The claim originated from a parody account
The claim, however, is untrue, as no such interview happened between Tapper and Stallone. There are also no reports of the ‘Rocky’ actor defending the president after he was compared to a mobster.
A search on Google for the keywords "Sylvester Stallone defends Trump," "Jake Tapper compares Trump to a mobster," and "Jake Tapper, Stallone interview" yielded no credible reports by prominent news media outlets, which, if true, won’t go unreported.
Moreover, the claim originated from a Facebook parody account called "America's Last Line Of Defence," hence the post was intended as a satire.
Jake Tapper challenges Jill Biden's memoir
Recently, Tapper used Jill Biden’s new memoir to criticize the Biden family, after which Hunter Biden publicly defended his stepmother.
In a video posted to CNN’s social media, Tapper challenged the former first lady’s assertions in her memoir that her husband would have willingly stepped down if he were incapable of serving and that his staff would not have allowed him to remain in office if he showed signs of cognitive impairment.
Tapper disputed these claims, calling them “very hard to believe, if not downright false” and labeling the former first lady the “Queen of Omission."