CNN anchor Jake Tapper said he privately apologized to Lara Trump after she raised concerns about Joe Biden’s cognitive decline in a 2020 interview, an admission he shared while promoting his new book, Mediaite reported.
Tapper acknowledged that Trump was right when she questioned Biden’s cognitive abilities in a contentious 2020 interview on “The Lead With Jake Tapper.”
Appearing Tuesday on “The Megyn Kelly Show” to promote his book co-written with Axios reporter Alex Thompson, Tapper confirmed he contacted to Lara Trump months ago to express regret regarding how he handled the exchange nearly five years ago.
“I’ve already apologized to her,” Tapper said. “I called her months ago.”
Tapper declined to elaborate on their conversation, calling it “private,” but added, “She would never mock anybody’s stutter.”
In the original 2020 interview, Lara Trump remarked on Biden’s public speaking, saying, “Every time he comes on stage, and they turn to him, I’m like, ‘Joe, can you get it out. Let’s get the words out.'”
Tapper challenged her then, responding, “How do you think it makes little kids with stutters feel when they see you make a comment like that?”
She replied: “First and foremost, I had no idea that Joe Biden ever suffered from a stutter. I think what we see on stage with Joe Biden, Jake, is very clearly a cognitive decline. That’s what I’m referring to.”
Tapper shot back, “This is so amazing. I think you were mocking his stutter,” before ending the interview with, “and I think you have absolutely no standing to diagnose somebody’s cognitive decline.”
On Tuesday’s show, Kelly pressed Tapper for a public admission.
“Do you want to apologize to Lara Trump now?” she asked.
“I feel angry because she was right,” Kelly continued. “And not only did you not allow her to make her comments, but you seemed to try to humiliate her.”
“You had a hostility toward the position, but she was totally right, and then you lectured her on you said she was in no position to diagnose cognitive decline, which you guys do at length, including on page 4 of your book,” Kelly said. “You describe at length his cognitive decline, which is all she tried to do with you.”
The conversation came as scrutiny mounted over Biden’s mental fitness after the release of audio recordings from his October 2023 interview with special counsel Robert Hur.
According to Axios, Biden had trouble recalling when his son Beau died, when he left office as vice president, and what year President Donald Trump was elected. The recordings also captured moments of slurred speech and muttering.
The newly public audio sheds light on why the White House resisted releasing the tapes as concerns grew about Biden’s memory and clarity. Hur wrote that a jury would likely see Biden as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
Hur’s decision not to prosecute Biden for alleged mishandling of classified documents drew backlash from Republicans, especially as Donald Trump faced the same charges.