Straight From the Tapper

The 2024 election may be over, but the story behind it is still unfolding.

This week, Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson released their book "Original Sin," which examines at length Joe Biden's mental acuity, its "cover-up," and his "disastrous choice to run again." Based on more than 200 interviews, the book has generated a wave of headlines and, according to a publishing source, sold nearly 100,000 copies in its first week—a rare milestone for any nonfiction title.

But the book tour hasn't also been without controversy. Tapper drew criticism for appearing on Megyn Kelly's right-wing program, apologizing to Lara Trump, and verbally sparring with Hunter Biden over a years-old incident. In an interview with Status, Tapper addressed it all, and delved into the book's genesis, whether journalists should feel more empowered to question the mental fitness of presidents, and more.

Below is the Q&A, lightly edited for style.

The topic of Joe Biden's age had long been discussed both publicly and behind the scenes in Washington. What prompted you to start looking into the issue more deeply for the book? And how did you partner with Alex for it?

We all saw him aging, but those behind the scenes kept telling everyone else—not just reporters, but donors and Democratic lawmakers—"he's fine, he's fine." He sure didn't seem that way during the June 27 debate. So we wanted to know more, even though in the immediate aftermath of the debate no one at the White House or campaign was talking candidly.

During the closing days of the election, when it became clear Vice President [Kamala] Harris might lose, I heard from Democrats who believed President Biden's decision to run for reelection and the attempted coverup of how much he had deteriorated had doomed the VP.

The day before the election, Alex was on my show. I had long admired his tough White House coverage and so, very impulsively—though with Maggie Haberman's successful partnership with Jonathan Swan in mind—I asked him if he might be interested in teaming up to investigate what happened. The day after the election, I texted him and we got to work.

You sat for an interview with Megyn Kelly, which generated criticism, including from yours truly. Why sit with her? She certainly used to be one of the more honest people in conservative media, but in recent years she has really morphed into something of a dishonest MAGA warrior. Why give her the time of day?

Conservative media have been raising questions about Biden's acuity for quite some time. Our reporting, which began in earnest after the election when Democrats were suddenly far more willing to talk, suggests that there was merit to some of that early analysis, regardless of the various motives of any charge in this hyper-partisan era. I'm not afraid to be reflective or to revisit things others saw that I may have missed at the time. I saw Megyn’s platform as an opportunity to engage in that conversation with a tough interlocutor.

While on Kelly's show, you said "conservative media was right" about Biden's mental acuity. Right-wing media has been using your remarks to claim they've been vindicated for their outlandish coverage over the years. Do you think people like Sean Hannity should feel they were proven right?

This requires a complicated answer. First, the Joe Biden of 2024 had far more non-functioning moments than the Joe Biden of 2020. I'm certainly not vouching for every skeptical analysis from 2020. I'm saying the overall skepticism was well-placed.

Second, there are reasons for why journalists were skeptical of some of the partisan voices saying in 2020 that Biden had cognition issues. Campaigns bring out all sorts of wild charges; [Donald Trump Jr.] was suggesting Biden was a pedophile, for example. Biden's addlement deteriorated over time. Folks around Biden were lying about what was going on—and it turns out that the White House was peddling misinformation not only to the press, but to its own staff, Democratic members of Congress, and even The Cabinet. Also—and I think this is the point that you're driving at—some of the folks leading the charge had previously pushed lies about Hillary Clinton's health, the security of the election of 2020, the death of Seth Rich, and on and on.

But back to where we are now, in May 2025—our reporting suggests that voicing concerns about Biden's cognitive abilities back then were in many cases correct.

The third point here is that skeptical commentary—even that which is proven correct—is not the same thing as behind-the-scenes reporting. Airing clips of Biden stumbling or misspeaking is not the same thing as the investigative journalism Alex and I did. There’s a difference between a verbal gaffe or a physical tumble in front of the cameras and the behind the scenes revelations in the book: his privately not remembering longtime aides, or those in his own cabinet not trusting him to be available to handle a hypothetical crisis in the middle of the night. We interviewed more than 200 sources, mostly Democrats, after the election and produced a definitive account of what was going on behind the scenes. The interest in the book suggests that this story has actually not been covered adequately. We all saw him aging and stumbling. The clips aired. The voters expressed their concerns early on. But we still did not know how bad it was behind the scenes until this book, at least in as comprehensive a way.

You also said that you had apologized to Lara Trump. Why?

Because in that interview in October 2020, her comments about Biden aged well and mine aged poorly. Our reporting for the book, which started after the 2024 election, suggested that she was right to call Biden's cognitive state into question.

One of the places you haven't turned up on the book tour: Fox News, though the network has been covering the book at length. Would you have been open to going on the channel?

Of course. But while Fox News and “The View” have talked about our book at length and attacked us personally, they won't have us on. I don't know why.

Amid the book tour, years-old drama between Hunter Biden and yourself has spilled into public view. Hunter has said—now on the record—that you repeatedly phoned him as Beau Biden was in the hospital, trying to land the scoop about his death. It's obviously a very weighty accusation to make. What is your response?

There is no real "years-old drama." Hunter's claim I called him about Beau in 2015 is a complete lie. I would never do such a thing. I've never called Hunter in my life. I don't have his number and never have. Does anyone really think that if I'd done such a crass thing, his parents would have subsequently given me interviews? That no one would ever have heard this anecdote until ten years later, during publication week for this book? This is quite obviously a sad attempt to distract from our reporting.

It IS true that Hunter approached me at a 2018 Super Bowl pre-party, but that was because he accused me of reporting on allegations from his ex-wife that he had used cocaine and visited prostitutes. I hadn't reported on that; I don't report much on former vice presidents' son's divorces. Not really my portfolio.

And honestly, that bizarre moment in 2018 was a gnat on my shoulder compared to the joyous experience of that Super Bowl, where the Eagles soundly defeated the Patriots. GO BIRDS.

In the wake of the book, do you think journalists should feel more empowered to question the mental acuity of the sitting president? How should they apply this to Donald Trump, who is also set to turn 80 while in office?

American presidents have been misleading the public about their health for literally centuries. It got tougher to do in the TV age, but it continued throughout [John F. Kennedy], [Ronald] Reagan, and now Biden. President [Donald] Trump has barely released any actual health records, as opposed to summaries. Right now health records being released is not required by law, and there is nothing requiring those records to be 100% factual. Congress should pass a law mandating all future presidents to have to be transparent and honest about these issues.

Stepping back, what do you hope people take away from the book?

President Biden, his family, and his closest aides believed that only he could defeat Trump, and that Trump posed an existential threat to the U.S. So they launched a campaign of deceit that ultimately paved the way for Trump's return. The book is deeply reported and, I think, an important first draft of this tragic and infuriating history.

• Freedom of the Press Foundation, a Paramount Global shareholder, threatened to file a lawsuit against the conglomerate if it settles Donald Trump's lawsuit against "60 Minutes." [Freedom of the Press]

  • "Any settlement payment–let alone one in the multimillion-dollar range that Paramount is reportedly contemplating – could potentially constitute not only bribery but corporate waste," an attorney for the group wrote Shari Redstone.

  • Jon Stewart finally offered his take on the situation, telling Bill Simmons, "What you’re seeing now is all must pay tribute to the king." [Deadline]

• Pete Hegseth placed even more restrictions on journalists working within the Pentagon. [AP]

• RedBird Capital said it reached a deal to acquire The Telegraph. Previously, RedBird IMI, a different U.A.E.-backed fund led by Jeff Zucker, had attempted to purchase the storied newspaper, but was blocked over concerns regarding the Middle East money. [NYT]

• "It Was Just an Accident," a film by Iranian director Jafar Panahi, won the Palme d’Or, the Cannes Film Festival's highest honor. [The Wrap]

  • Here's the full list of winners. [Variety]

• Disney snagged from Netflix the rights to the popular children's program "CoComelon.” [Bloomberg]

• A24 shuttered its documentary division. [The Wrap]

• Eight people were found guilty in the 2016 Paris robbery of Kim Kardashian. [CNN]

• Miley Cyrus disclosed that she got a "brutal infection" after rolling around on the Hollywood Walk of Fame while filming for a movie. "My leg began to disintegrate," Cyrus said, adding she was put in the ICU. [THR]

• Kenan Thompson teased that "a lot of change" is heading to "Saturday Night Live" next season. [THR]

• The box office smashed its Memorial Day weekend record, with “Lilo & Stitch” and “Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning” sending people to the theaters in droves. [THR]

  • “Lilo & Stitch” printed a staggering $183 million in tickets at the domestic box office over the holiday weekend.

  • Tom Cruise, meanwhile, snagged $77 million with his latest “Mission: Impossible”—a franchise best.

  • Elsewhere, “Final Destination: Bloodlines” took home $24.5 million; “Thunderbolts*” $11.6 million; and “Sinners” $11.2 million.