Jake Tapper Shuts Down 'On the Left' Label in Heated Exchange with Trump Agriculture Secretary

CNN host Jake Tapper didn't miss a beat when Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins tried to pin him as part of "the left" during a Sunday interview on "State of the Union." The exchange, centered around President Trump's controversial tariff policies, showcased Tapper's signature assertiveness.

Tapper got straight to the point, asking Rollins just how long Americans might be enduring the "tariff chaos"—30 days? 60 days? 90 days? Rollins responded by emphasizing the administration’s new approach to economic policy, calling it "the new American order" and claiming critics, particularly "on the left," were overreacting.

But Tapper wasn't having it. "I'm not on the left," he shot back, leaving Rollins momentarily amused. "All right, Jake, thank you," she replied, dodging the label dispute with a chuckle.

The Trump administration's tariff plan, which kicked off on Saturday with a baseline 10% tariff on all imports, aims to restructure America's economic strategy. Additional country-specific tariffs are set to roll out on April 9. Rollins defended these measures vigorously, arguing that they would boost American industries and counterbalance the tariff regimes imposed by other countries.

"We already live under a tariff regime," Rollins said, pointing fingers at nations like Mexico and Australia for refusing American goods such as corn and beef. Her colorful example—that Honduras imports more American pork than the entire European Union—was a vivid illustration of what she described as an unfair global trade imbalance.

Critics of Tapper have long accused him of being overly antagonistic toward Republicans and Trump, but CNN has consistently backed him as an impartial journalist. Sunday’s exchange was just the latest chapter in Tapper's career, which often sees him navigating politically charged waters with a sharp tongue.

Rollins remained optimistic about the tariff policy, predicting a "positive outcome" thanks to Trump's actions. "We already have 50 countries eager to negotiate with us," she claimed, portraying the U.S. as the world's economic powerhouse finally standing its ground.