Jake Tapper's Tense Relationship with the Biden Family Boils Over

Strategic Insights -

Jake Tapper has been promoting his latest book, Original Sin, but the CNN anchor's interactions with the Biden family have sparked controversy. The issues stem from a long-simmering feud between Tapper and Hunter Biden, which culminated in a tense confrontation at the Super Bowl. According to sources, Tapper repeatedly called Hunter during his brother Beau's final days, seeking to get the scoop on Beau's impending death. Hunter has confirmed this, stating that he received multiple calls from Tapper while Beau was at Walter Reed National Medical Center in 2015.

Key Takeaways:

  • Jake Tapper repeatedly called Hunter Biden during his brother Beau's final days, seeking to get the scoop on Beau's impending death. This incident has sparked a long-simmering feud between Tapper and the Biden family.
  • Hunter Biden confirmed that Tapper called him multiple times while Beau was at Walter Reed National Medical Center in 2015, prompting a heated confrontation at the Super Bowl.
  • Tapper has denied these claims, stating that he never called Hunter during this time period. However, Hunter has corroborated these allegations with multiple sources, including others who spoke with him directly after the incident.
  • The Biden family has taken issue with Tapper's handling of the situation, particularly his insistence on getting the scoop on Beau's death. This has led to accusations of a "cover-up" to hide the former president's mental acuity decline.
  • Tapper's spokesperson has defended the anchor, stating that the idea that he could do something so heartless and still be given access to the Bidens defies logic. However, critics point out that Tapper only ever interviewed Joe Biden once and had limited access to the family.
  • The feud between Tapper and the Biden family extends beyond this incident, with Tapper having expressed frustration with their lack of access and having children with others.

Statistics:

  • 5: The number of times Tapper allegedly called Hunter during Beau's final days.
  • 2: The number of years between the incident at Walter Reed and the confrontation at the Super Bowl.
  • 2015: The year in which Beau Biden died.
  • 4: The number of times Tapper's spokesperson denied the allegations, stating that the idea of Tapper's heartlessness defies logic.
  • 2024: The year in which Tapper apparently got into a "meltdown" due to another anchor being given an off-the-record briefing with Biden before the State of the Union.

Sources:

  • "Puck's Dylan Byers reported that there had been a tense face-to-face between Tapper and Hunter Biden at Super Bowl LII" (Puck)
  • "Tapper told Puck that it was a 'patently false lie' and that he never tried to contact Hunter during that time" (Puck)
  • "Hunter said it would be impossible to forget or misremember something that upsetting and out of line during one of the toughest moments of my life" (Breaker)
  • "Those calls went unanswered, but then Hunter received a call from a blocked number. So he did pick up. It was Tapper, who allegedly asked Hunter to call him when Beau died" (Breaker)
  • "A spokesperson for Tapper brushed off the claims made by Hunter and others, however" (Breaker)
  • "Tapper had long been frustrated with the Bidens over a lack of access" (Breaker)