CNN host Jake Tapper took a shot at the Obama administration Thursday, poking fun at its hesitancy to use the word "coup" while discussing upcoming talks between Russia and the U.S. in Geneva.
"On the eve of this meeting, Russian president Vladimir Putin made it clear that the U.S. and Russia are coming to the table from very, very different sides," he said. "Putin having scored a diplomatic coup ... Wait, the administration hates that word, I'm sorry. Having scored a diplomatic upset by essentially forcing President Obama to negotiate after he called for strikes."
The Obama administration's refusal to label the ousting of Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, a democratically elected leader, as a coup was a thorn in the State Department's side. At one point, spokesperson Jen Psaki memorably said the U.S. had "determined that we do not need to make a determination" on the status of the Egyptian crisis.
[H/T Noah Rothman]
