‘Spun It for His Own Gain’: Jake Tapper Accused of Hyping Up Book Sales with Fake Outrage Over Podcaster Who Suggested His Son Was Racist
CNN anchor Jake Tapper is making the media rounds to promote his explosive new book about Joe Biden, but it’s his indignant outrage that has been getting the attention lately.
In an interview on the Pod G podcast, hosted by NYU professor Scott Galloway, Tapper seemed exasperated as he recounted how his son was called a racist by an anonymous “left-leaning” podcaster.
According to Tapper, 56, the unnamed interviewer took a condescending tone after he revealed that his teen son wants to be a cop someday.
“Their joke was about my 15-year-old son, ‘Oh, how does he feel about minorities? Like the idea that he wants to be a policeman, therefore he’s racist, my son,” lamented Tapper in the May 22 interview.
“And like, you know, that was the big laugh,” he said, before making a leap to the Democrats’ loss in the 2024 presidential election. “Then I got dragged in the comments and all that stuff and, and I thought to myself, ‘This is why you f—ers are losing elections.’”
He went on: “You’re deciding he’s a racist because he wants to be a cop. And why does he want to be a cop? He wants to be a cop because he wants to help people,” Tapper said. “He thinks that’s the best way he can help people. And that’s how the Democratic Party talks to men, not just white men, but men… I find it just insane.”
Despite the lack of details, sleuths pinpointed the podcaster in question as Chris Black, who had Tapper on his show in April. After the clip went viral, Black wasted no time defending himself and calling out Tapper for his faux outrage, saying the CNN chief Washington correspondent knew full well it was said in jest.
“Him willfully choosing to take a joke wrong, that he definitely knew what it was in the moment, I would say is only a pro move,” he remarked. “He spun it for his own gain, and it’s working.”
Many commenters on social media are siding with Black, deeming Tapper’s outrage disingenuous, especially given his high-profile book tour. Titled “Original Sin,” the book is co-authored by Axios reporter Alex Thompson and chronicles Biden’s run for re-election amid his cognitive decline. It also heavily relies on anonymous sources, drawing from interviews with more than 200 people, as apparently, very few aides or elected officials would speak on the record.
“Sorry, but this sounds like a huge exaggeration. How many people said his son was racist and how do we know they are Democrats? Was it 1 kid at school? I think Jake is having some real issues with truth and conscience lately,” wrote one person on X. “Tapper created this,” chimed in another.
“I agree this is bad. But WHO is calling his son a racist for wanting to be a cop? Why is that connected with the Democratic Party?” asked a confused commenter.
“Spare me the white victimhood. Ain’t nobody give a s***,” railed another, followed by “Jake Tapper is selling a book. He will say ANYTHING to boost his book sales.” Indeed, “Original Sin” skyrocketed to the No. 1 spot on The New York Times bestseller list within a week after its release on May 20.
During the interview, Tapper implied that to win young men’s votes, Democrats need to be relatable and effectively “code-switch” to white guy speak, as he mentioned on the podcast. He said it’s something Kamala Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz, fumbled.
“My son is now 15 years old, and he’s a gamer. He’s a football fan, starting linebacker on his varsity football team. The Democratic Party has no way of communicating with him. They have no entrée into his world.”