Jake Tapper Faces Backlash Over New Book Addressing Biden's Mental Decline

Jake Tapper, the CNN anchor, has come under fire on social media for promoting his new book that explores former President Biden’s cognitive decline and alleged cover-up efforts by Democratic Party members. Critics have taken to X (formerly Twitter) to express their outrage, accusing Tapper of hypocrisy given his previous defenses of Biden.

The book, titled “Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice To Run Again,” has sparked intense debate. Many users highlighted a video clip from 2020 where Tapper reprimanded Lara Trump, a former advisor to the Trump campaign, for raising concerns about Biden’s mental faculties. In the clip, Tapper insisted that Biden’s cognitive issues were merely a stutter, framing them as a conspiracy theory.

In a striking contrast, a popular conservative account known as “End Wokeness” shared the 2020 video alongside an image of Tapper’s new book. The account captured the sentiment succinctly, stating, “Tapper then: It’s a conspiracy theory to say Biden has cognitive decline. It’s a stutter. Tapper now: A book on the cover-up.” This dichotomy has fueled the criticism directed at Tapper.

Tapper’s Recent Commentary on Biden

During a segment of CNN’s “The Lead,” Tapper addressed his newly released book and underscored his long-standing inquiry into the matter. He explained, “As viewers of ‘The Lead’ know, I’ve been covering the concerns about President Biden’s age and health for years. I literally asked him about it in October 2022, and we’ve challenged Democrats and White House officials about it.” Tapper’s assertions aimed to reinforce his position as an impartial journalist probing significant issues.

In a previous interview with Biden, Tapper had indeed raised questions about the former president’s age and the pressures associated with the presidency. Reports from 2023 have echoed public concerns regarding Biden’s mental sharpness, further complicating the narrative surrounding his candidacy for re-election. In addition, Tapper questioned then-White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre about the public’s perception of Biden’s age.

Criticism of Tapper’s Approach

Despite Tapper’s attempts to assert his journalistic integrity, critics on X argue that he has not been thorough enough in addressing Biden’s cognitive decline. Prominent voices in the media have expressed strong disapproval of Tapper’s perceived complicity in downplaying the issue.

Mollie Hemingway, editor-in-chief of The Federalist, did not hold back in her comments about Tapper. She stated, “The mother bleeping AUDACITY of you to do this after running 24-7 interference on behalf of him and mocking and attacking every single person who noticed Biden’s decline. The MOTHER. BUH-LEEP-ING. AUDACITY. Have you no decency? Have you NO shame?” This statement exemplifies the significant backlash Tapper faces.

Tom Bevan, co-founder of RealClearPolitics, echoed this sentiment, noting, “Jake Tapper getting ratioed into oblivion promoting his new book on ‘the real story’ of Biden’s mental decline. He really does have utter contempt for his viewers and thinks they’re all morons.” Bevan’s remarks capture a growing sentiment among critics who feel Tapper’s actions are disingenuous.