Jake Tapper squirmed under pressure Wednesday when asked if his new book on President Biden’s decline was just a cash grab.
Tapper co-authored Original Sin with Axios reporter Alex Thompson. The book shot to the New York Times bestseller list and stirred controversy across media.
Appearing on The Stephen A. Smith Show, Tapper denied left-wing claims that the book was about money. But his answer was awkward and hesitant.
“It’s not the case,” Tapper stammered. “CNN is my main job… That’s where my main source of income — by far — comes from.”
He argued that most authors write to leave a legacy, not to get rich. “The idea that I would do this for money is — is — it’s just — it’s silly and not true,” he insisted.
But critics aren’t buying it. Chris Cuomo blasted the book as “a cover for something” more serious than Biden’s decline.
Cuomo claimed the real cover-up was in the media. “Many in the media knew damn well that Biden was losing it,” he said, “but they played it down because they wanted Trump to lose more.”
Tapper has admitted to failing to report properly on Biden’s mental fitness before the disastrous 2024 debate. He said he looks back on that period “with humility.”
Still, many say Tapper’s book is too little, too late — and that his media peers share the blame.