CNN anchor Jake Tapper pressed Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) Sunday on whether President Donald Trump’s threat that “a whole civilization will die” if Iran does not comply constituted a “call for genocide” against the Iranian people.
Midway through the “State of the Union” interview, Tapper asked Stefanik if she condemns calls for genocide “across the board.” He referenced her past criticism of university presidents who would not condemn chants of “From the river to the sea,” which she and many Jewish groups view as a call for the genocide of Jews in Israel.
“You believe that wiping out an entire civilization is genocidal and nobody should make a call to do such a thing?” Tapper asked.
“Yes, of course,” Stefanik replied, defending her earlier line of questioning to college presidents as a clear, non-political test of whether calling for the genocide of Jews violates university codes of conduct.
Tapper then pivoted to Trump’s April 7 Truth Social post.
“What did you think when President Trump threatened to obliterate the entire Iranian civilization?” he asked.
🔥 NEW: “This is typical CNN!” — Elise Stefanik HITS BACK at Jake Tapper in FIERY segment as he tries to claim Trump was calling for genocide against Iran:
— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) April 19, 2026
TAPPER: “Is calling for wiping out an entire civilization bad or good?”
STEFANIK: “Of course it’s bad! That is not what he… pic.twitter.com/yyEkCsin85
Stefanik defended the president, arguing his comments targeted the “Iranian terrorist regime,” not the Iranian people, and that the strong rhetoric successfully brought Iran to the negotiating table and produced a ceasefire.“He said the entire civilization will die,” Tapper countered.
“He was focused on the Iranian terrorist regime,” Stefanik shot back, repeating that the approach led to a diplomatic outcome.The exchange sparked a heated six-minute exchange on the Sunday morning program.