Acosta: ‘There Was Some Covid Denialism’ at CPAC

TAPPER CNN s Jim ░░░░░░░░ was on the ground ░░░░░░░░ CPAC today where former ░░░░░░░░ Trump is expected to ░░░░░░░░ his false claims in ░░░░░░░░ headline speech this weekend ░░░░░░░░ first since leaving office ░░░░░░░░ he filed this report ░░░░░░░░ starts ACOSTA Look around ░░░░░░░░ year s Conservative Political ░░░░░░░░ Conference TRUMP JR T ░░░░░░░░ That s what it ░░░░░░░░ like guys ACOSTA And ░░░░░░░░ s clear much of ░░░░░░░░ Republican Party still sees ░░░░░░░░ Trump as something of ░░░░░░░░ golden goose that will ░░░░░░░░ the GOP back to ░░░░░░░░ White House ZEGAN I ░░░░░░░░ he was the greatest ░░░░░░░░ that lived ACOSTA Despite ░░░░░░░░ s role in the ░░░░░░░░ siege at the Capitol ░░░░░░░░ January 6th TRUMP If ░░░░░░░░ don t fight like ░░░░░░░░ you re got going ░░░░░░░░ have a country anymore ░░░░░░░░ CPAC s chief organizer ░░░░░░░░ Schlapp handed the former ░░░░░░░░ a prime speaking slot ░░░░░░░░ out the conference Sunday ░░░░░░░░ I like the fact ░░░░░░░░ he wants to stay ░░░░░░░░ Now you can say ░░░░░░░░ he lost the election ░░░░░░░░ his supporters 73 million ░░░░░░░░ Well he did lose ░░░░░░░░ election SCHLAPP You can ░░░░░░░░ that he lost the ░░░░░░░░ ACOSTA He did lose ░░░░░░░░ election SCHLAPP Yeah but ░░░░░░░░ m not quibbling that ░░░░░░░░ But Schlapp insists Trump ░░░░░░░░ t be held responsible ░░░░░░░░ the deadly insurrection He ░░░░░░░░ a speech and then ░░░░░░░░ was a violent insurrection ░░░░░░░░ the Capitol SCHLAPP You ░░░░░░░░ don t know what ░░░░░░░░ re talking about ACOSTA ░░░░░░░░ our interview some CPAC ░░░░░░░░ became irate many of ░░░░░░░░ refusing to believe Trump ░░░░░░░░ any violence Don t ░░░░░░░░ feel Trump is at ░░░░░░░░ responsible FARINA No not ░░░░░░░░ all Not at all ░░░░░░░░ Do you still believe ░░░░░░░░ Trump won the election ░░░░░░░░ Yes ACOSTA And still ░░░░░░░░ his big lie that ░░░░░░░░ won the election A ░░░░░░░░ the former president is ░░░░░░░░ to repeat this weekend ░░░░░░░░ No What did he ░░░░░░░░ I mean he s ░░░░░░░░ there doing a rally ░░░░░░░░ got a bunch of ░░░░░░░░ cases going out there ░░░░░░░░ Trump s presence is ░░░░░░░░ the other presidential wannabes ░░░░░░░░ the conference like Senator ░░░░░░░░ Cruz who made light ░░░░░░░░ his trip to Cancun ░░░░░░░░ his constituents were freezing ░░░░░░░░ death in Texas CRUZ ░░░░░░░░ got to say Orlando ░░░░░░░░ awesome It s not ░░░░░░░░ nice as Cancun but ░░░░░░░░ s nice In the ░░░░░░░░ words of William Wallace ░░░░░░░░ ACOSTA This chaotic post ░░░░░░░░ has twisted the GOP ░░░░░░░░ a pretzel with Senate ░░░░░░░░ Leader Mitch McConnell saying ░░░░░░░░ could support another Trump ░░░░░░░░ MCCONNELL The nominee of ░░░░░░░░ party Absolutely ACOSTA Even ░░░░░░░░ he just condemned the ░░░░░░░░ president right after his ░░░░░░░░ trial MCCONNELL President Trump ░░░░░░░░ practically and morally responsible ░░░░░░░░ provoking the events of ░░░░░░░░ day Clip ends ACOSTA ░░░░░░░░ we should note there ░░░░░░░░ sessions at this conference ░░░░░░░░ to advancing Trump s ░░░░░░░░ lie that he won ░░░░░░░░ election We should also ░░░░░░░░ that Senator Josh Hawley ░░░░░░░░ defending his role and ░░░░░░░░ attempts to overturn the ░░░░░░░░ results He got a ░░░░░░░░ ovation for that And ░░░░░░░░ is some Covid denialism ░░░░░░░░ on at the CPAC ░░░░░░░░ year Jake At one ░░░░░░░░ the organizers urged the ░░░░░░░░ to remember to put ░░░░░░░░ their masks Because they ░░░░░░░░ that some in the ░░░░░░░░ actually booed those organizers ░░░░░░░░ just trying to practice ░░░░░░░░ Covid safety Jake TAPPER ░░░░░░░░ hope you re triple ░░░░░░░░ Jim masking rather Triple ░░░░░░░░ ACOSTA Absolutely TAPPER Jim ░░░░░░░░ in Orlando thank you ░░░░░░░░ much.”