Jake Tapper, CNN’s august and outwardly civil newsman, blew up at his staff during a commercial break last week after they botched airing a series of clips on his show The Lead, a reliable CNN production source told Mediaite.

During last Tuesday’s broadcast, Tapper — who had just returned from Helsinki — covered President Donald Trump‘s ever-changing explanation for his press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin in which he cast doubt on US intelligence that the Kremlin was behind meddling in the 2016 election.

There were three clips that Tapper’s team had lined up for his show. They were, in chronological order:

1. Trump, at Putin presser says, “I don’t see any reason why it would be Russia”

2. Trump, in televised statement, says he meant to say “I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be Russia.”

3. Trump, in televised statement, says he accepts that Russia meddled, before adding, “Could be other people also.”

In the clip above, you can watch Tapper ask his team to run clip No. 3.

Tapper said: “[Trump] still couldn’t help himself. Bottom line, he doesn’t believe and accept the intelligence community’s assessment. So he contradicts himself even when asserting that he does. Let’s run that clip once more.”

Tapper’s team played clip No. 1.

Tapper responded: “Okay, so that’s what he said yesterday, now let’s run the clip from today, when he undermines his attempted contradiction.” (Again, requesting clip number 3).

His team ran clip No. 2.

An exasperated Tapper responded: “Then he said, that, uh, he did accept the conclusion of the intelligence community, and then he undermined it, and I’d like to play that clip.”

His team didn’t play any clip, and Tapper stared into the rolling camera before giving up — shaking his head and declaring: “Alright, we don’t have the clip for some reason.”

During the commercial break, we are told that Tapper went ballistic, berating his staff in front of the entire studio for “not reading my emails!”

Our source described the outburst as “unhinged” and “bananas,” replete with a lot of shouting about the staff’s incompetence.

CNN declined to comment.

If, by chance, you have video of the incident we would love to see it. Ping me: [email protected]

[image via screengrab]

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