CNN’s Jake Tapper Scoffs at Trump Using Putin ‘as Sort of Character Witness’ at Campaign Rally

CNN's Jake Tapper knocked Donald Trump for using Russian President Vladimir Putin as a "sort of character witness" at a New Hampshire campaign stop.

Tapper opened CNN's "State of the Union" by saying people were "stunned" to see the former president use Putin to back up his claims of criminal charges against him being politically motivated.

"Hello, I'm Jake Tapper in Washington where the state of our union is, frankly, stunned, watching the leading Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump quote one of our nation's foremost adversaries Vladimir Putin as a sort of character witness while on the stump in New Hampshire last night," Tapper said.

At his rally, Trump quoted Putin as saying, "It shows the rottenness of the American political system, which cannot pretend to teach others about democracy" in reference to Trump more than criminal charges.

Tapper noted at least two Americans, Paul Whelan and journalist Evan Gershkovich, are currently unjustly imprisoned in Russia.

"Vladimir Putin is not a credible source of information about American democracy, much less American jurisprudence," Tapper declared. "Vladimir Putin seeks to undermine the United States and its allies."