Blaze Media
© 2025 Blaze Media LLC. All rights reserved.
Jake Tapper eviscerates Muslim activist who made 'jihad' comment about Trump
CNN host Jake Tapper eviscerated Women's March organizer and Muslim activist Linda Sarsour after a Women's March tweet that praised a cop-killing fugitive on the FBI's "Most Wanted Terrorists" list. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Jake Tapper eviscerates Muslim activist who made 'jihad' comment about Trump

CNN host Jake Tapper strongly criticized the Muslim activist who said she "hopes" that opposition to President Donald Trump is a "form of jihad" Tuesday.

Tapper's pointed response came after the official Women's March Twitter account praised Assata Shakur, who is on the FBI's "Most Wanted Terrorists" list.

"Happy birthday to the revolutionary #AssataShakur! Today's #SignOfResistance, in Assata's honor, is by @Meloniousfunk," the tweet read.

According to the FBI, Shakur, whose real name is Joanne Deborah Chesimard, escaped from a New Jersey prison in 1979 and fled to Cuba, where federal law enforcement officials believe she lives to this day. Chesimard was a member of the extremist Black Liberation Army.

In 1977, Chesimard was convicted of first-degree murder in the 1973 shooting of a New Jersey state police officer.

The shooting happened after two New Jersey officers pulled over Chesimard and two accomplices on the New Jersey Turnpike. The second police officer was wounded but did not die. One of Chesimard's accomplices died in the shootout; the other accomplice was arrested and is in prison.

Chesimard, however, fled the scene of the shooting. She was eventually arrested and sentenced to prison. Chesimard escaped from prison after two years behind bars. In 1984, U.S. officials determined that Chesimard had been living in Cuba, where she still remains. Given Chesimard's violent history, and the Women's March outspoken support for her, Tapper called out the liberal protesters in a tweet on Tuesday.

Tapper also brought up that a Women's March organizer, Linda Sarsour, recently said she "hopes" opposition to Trump is a "form of jihad." He also pointed to the Chicago Dyke March telling a Jewish flag carrier to leave one of its LGBT events.

"Shakur is a cop-killer fugitive in Cuba. This, ugly sentiments from @lsarsour & @dykemarchchi ...Any progressives out there condemning this?" Tapper tweeted.

Sarsour later responded to Tapper's tweet, calling it a "shame."

".@jaketapper please share my 'ugly' sentiments? Unapologetically Muslim? Unapologetically Palestinian? Pro-immigrant? Pro-justice? Shame," Sarsour replied.

As just one example, Tapper cited Sarsour's previous comments about human rights activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Tapper was referring to a now-deleted tweet that Sarsour sent in 2011 in which she compared Ali to Brigitte Gabriel, who many believe is anti-Muslim.

"Brigette Gabriel=Ayaan Hirsi Ali. She's asking 4 an a$$ whippin'. I wish I could take their vaginas away — they don't deserve to be women," Sarsour tweeted in 2011.

Tapper later tweeted more facts, including a link to Shakur's FBI "Most Wanted" profile, as well as a 2013 Washington Post article, which reported the FBI had just named Shakur as a "Most Wanted Terrorist."

Sarsour responded to Tapper's tweets by claiming that the CNN journalist "targeted" her online.

"'@jaketapper joins the ranks of the alt-right to target me online. Welcome to the party," Sarsour tweeted.

Want to leave a tip?

We answer to you. Help keep our content free of advertisers and big tech censorship by leaving a tip today.
Want to join the conversation?
Already a subscriber?
Jon Street

Jon Street

more stories