About

Jake Tapper is an American journalist and television host for CNN. His shows include The Lead with Jake Tapper and State of the Union.

History

Following several years of working as a press secretary and in public relatons, Jake Tapper began his career as a journalist in 1998, working as a writer for Washington City Paper and, later, Salon.com.

His teleivision career started in 2001, when Tapper hosted CNN talk show Take Five. He later moved to ABC News, in 2003, covering such headline news as the war in Afganishtan and Hurricane Katrina.

Tapper worked at ABC until 2012, when he returned to CNN as the chief Washington Correspondent. The following year, he launched his own series, The Lead with Jake Tapper.^[1]

Kellyanne Conway Intervew

On February 7th, 2017, Tapper questioned Kellyanne Conway about why United States President Donald Trump had yet to offer sympathy to Canadians following a shooting that occurred at a Quebec mosque the previous month (shown below).^[4]

Following the interview, people on Twitter began posting Tapper's reaction to Conway's answers. Because those online reacting to the interview believed Conway to be lying, they humorously described Tapper's reaction in the face of numerous falsehoods (examples below).

Stephen Miller's Jake Tapper Interview

On January 7th, 2018, White House adviser Stephen Miller appeared on CNN's State of the Union with Jake Tapper. Miller, who was asked to defend the president's tweets and his mental state, discussed the policies and accomplishments of the president. However, after being pushed by Tapper to answer questions regarding the tweets, the exchange turned hostile. Tapper ended the interview, and according to reports, Miller had to be escorted off the set by security.^[3]

Reputation

In 2014, Mediaite^[2] called The Lead with Jake Tapper the best show on cable news. In their assessment, they wrote:

"Jake Tapper’s year-old CNN show is the perfect mix of straight news reports, tough interviews, and brief entertainment interludes that cable news execs likely used to dream of, before blowhard-driven theatrics became the bellwether for ratings. Tapper has quickly developed a reputation as an equal opportunity skeptic -- confronting Democratic politicians just as toughly as he would Republican ones. He’s among the most respected names in cable news, we’d argue; not because he’s so affable, but because he reminds viewers what news delivery can be like without the shouting, battling, blasting, or slamming. He’s also not afraid to get a little honest at times."

Related Memes

Hot Debate Guy

Hot Debate Guy is the nickname given to Los Angeles resident Greg Caruso who became a subject of admiration on social media after being spotted in the audience several times during the live broadcast of CNN’s Republican presidential primary debate in September 2015.

#TapperDirtFile

#TapperDirtFile is a satirical hashtag containing humorous, innocuous factoids about CNN anchor Jake Tapper, which were inspired by rumors that he was being targeted by the GOP for aggressively questioning Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway in early February 2017.

Search Interest

External References