Tapper Apologizes to Lara Trump Over Biden Remarks

During a recent appearance on Megyn Kelly’s podcast, CNN anchor Jake Tapper expressed regret to Lara Trump for previously dismissing concerns about Joe Biden’s cognitive abilities. This discussion took place after a 2020 interview, where Tapper had made light of Biden’s speech issues.

Tapper described feeling “incredibly humble” about the past reporting and was promoting his upcoming book, which discusses Biden’s cognitive decline and alleged cover-ups by Democratic insiders. The book, titled “The Original Crime: President Biden’s Decline, Cover-Up, and His Miserable Choice to Run Again,” details how fears of a second Trump term influenced the protective stance towards Biden’s condition.

Reflecting on their earlier interaction, Tapper admitted, “She saw something I wasn’t looking at at the time – 100% – and I own it,” acknowledging Lara Trump’s perspective in their tense exchange.

When Kelly pressed Tapper about the need for an apology, he confirmed that he had already reached out to Lara Trump. This was in light of her indicating that she had never intended to mock Biden’s struggles.

Tapper recounted, “After studying this book and realizing how bad his eyesight issues were, I called Lara Trump and said, ‘You were right.'” This admission was seen as a bit overdue, given the initial segment from four years ago where he abruptly ended their conversation after joking about Biden’s speech.

Lara Trump responded to his claims by stating she never believed Biden was merely struggling with speech but rather exhibited signs of cognitive decline. Tapper, however, had previously suggested that she was mocking Biden.

As recent discussions about Tapper’s book emerged, Lara Trump renewed criticism of their past interaction. She pointed out that during the 2020 interview, he had accused her of making fun of Biden and tried to cut her off when she expressed concerns over his cognitive issues.

Critics on social media have asserted that Tapper and CNN are guilty of hypocrisy, suggesting a pattern of downplaying Biden’s fitness until it becomes politically strategic. Tapper later commented that the issues surrounding Biden’s condition extended beyond just media coverage.

He and co-author Alex Thompson spoke with over 200 Democratic insiders, many of whom admitted to minimizing Biden’s cognitive decline because of the potential threat posed by Trump’s return to power. Tapper noted that these insiders had effectively justified their actions in their own minds and were more willing to discuss these matters after the election.

Additionally, he elaborated on the notion of a “two-Bidens” scenario, explaining that signs of cognitive issues were first visible after Beau Biden’s death and worsened amid Hunter Biden’s legal troubles.

Throughout the podcast, Kelly challenged Tapper repeatedly about why he hadn’t pressed Biden on the evident cognitive lapses that had been publicly noted, such as the incident involving the late Representative Jackie Walorski. Despite having the opportunity to confront Biden directly, Tapper chose to ask broader questions regarding his age instead.

Tapper acknowledged his oversight, saying, “That’s correct. I didn’t,” and justified his focus on more pressing topics during the interview. However, he recognized in hindsight that he should have probed deeper into Biden’s mental fitness.

Kelly maintained her critique, suggesting that the media’s handling of Biden’s cognitive issues may have led to significant concealment in the past.