Jake Tapper

Jake Tapper in 2017

Jacob Paul Tapper (born March 12, 1969) is an American journalist, author, and cartoonist. He is the lead Washington anchor for CNN (w:Cable News Network) , hosts the weekday television news show The Lead with Jake Tapper, and co-hosts the Sunday morning public affairs program State of the Union.

Before joining CNN, Tapper worked for ABC News (w:American Broadcasting Company as Senior White House Correspondent, where he received three Merriman Smith Memorial Awards from the White House Correspondents' Association. Tapper helped with the coverage of the inauguration of President Obama that earned an Emmy Award for Outstanding Live Coverage of a Current News Story. Tapper was part of a team that was awarded an Edward R. Murrow Award for Video: Breaking News for "Target bin Laden: The Death of Public Enemy #1". His book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor debuted at number 10 in November 2012 on The New York Times Best Seller list for hardback non-fiction. Tapper's book and his reporting on the veterans and troops were cited when the Congressional Medal of Honor Society awarded him the "Tex" McCrary Award for Excellence in Journalism.

The Republican primary debate Tapper moderated in September 2015 drew more than 23 million viewers, making it the most-watched program in the history of CNN and the second-most watched primary debate ever. He also moderated the Republican presidential debate in Miami on March 10, 2016, which drew almost 12 million viewers and, according to Variety, "garnered acclaim for its substance".

Quotes

• I'm Jake Tapper in Washington, where the state of our union is rather terrified that this brutal war between Israel and Hamas is about to get much bigger and much worse, more desperation in the Middle East this morning.

This was the scene after an Israeli strike in Gaza just hours ago, as people rushed to save survivors stuck under the rubble. Now the Israeli government says, after eight days of a brutal air campaign, it is now preparing -- quote -- "significant ground operations," a reminder that Hamas embeds itself within the Palestinian population, in response to the devastating terrorist attacks in which 1,000 Israelis were slaughtered, the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust.

And that was, of course, accompanied by the kidnapping of more than 100 innocent people from Israel.

And, this hour, Israel is warning the Lebanese group Hezbollah, which the U.S. considers to be a terrorist group, about any further escalations from the north after the two sides escalated, exchanged fire earlier today.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of innocent civilians in Gaza, a population of 2.3 million, are trying to flee. There are reports from inside the country that Hamas, which uses human shields, has set up blockades to stop its own people from escaping.

Earlier today, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told me that Hamas is blocking civilians, including Americans, from using the only viable exit from Gaza, the Rafah Crossing, into Egypt's Sinai Desert. Sullivan also told me that water service has been restored by Israel to Southern Gaza.

Earlier this week, Israel cut off supplies of electricity, food, water, and medicine to Gaza until Hamas frees its hostages, including some Americans.

• Transcripts State of the Union (October 15, 2023)

• As the Israeli government warns of a new phase in its fight against Hamas, brand-new polling just into CNN shows how Americans are feeling about this war. The U.S. public broadly feels Israel's military response to the Hamas terrorist attack is fully justified. But the difference by age is quite stark; 81 percent of Americans over the age of 65 feel the response by the Israeli government is fully justified. But just 27 percent of Americans 18 to 34 years old feel that way. The humanitarian crisis is also top of mind for many Americans; 71 percent of Americans feel a lot of sympathy for the people of Israel; 41 percent feel a lot of sympathy for the Palestinian people.
  • in introduction to Nikki Haley Interview: Nikki Haley on CNN's State Of The Union (FULL Interview)

External links

• Netanyahu adviser: Hamas keeping Americans from leaving Gaza (google says "1 month ago"?) CNN The Lead VIDEO
• * White House spokesperson John Kirby chokes up on CNN about Israel attack (The Independent October 9, 2023)
• A Palestinian-American stuck in Gaza is desperate to leave (The Lead Haneen Okal talks with CNN’s Jake Tapper 05:45 - Source: CNN) VIDEO
• Mom: Young daughter carries scissors to protect her family (Jessica Nagar Zandani joins The Lead CNN VIDEO)
• Hear from Hamas founding leader's son, who became a spy for Israel (23 October 2023) CNN VIDEO
• no fuel to enter gaza(Oct 24, 2023)
• THE LEAD: Missing IDF soldier's aunt: “We don't know if she's alive"
• 92-year-old man who fled Holocaust also survived Hamas