C-SPAN Caller Grills Jake Tapper Over Biden Book: ‘Right Now, I Really Don’t Like You’

A C-SPAN caller grilled CNN’s Jake Tapper on Tuesday for what she consides to be unfair coverage of former President Joe Biden in comparison to President Donald Trump.

Tapper joined C-SPAN’s Washington Journal on Tuesday morning to discuss his book “Original Sin.” The book, which has topped bestseller lists since its release in May, examines the cognitive decline of Biden and alleged attempts by his administration to cover it up.

During a segment in which Tapper took calls from listeners, a woman identified as “Sarah from Virginia” called out Tapper for not giving Trump the same treatment:

I watch you on CNN; but right now, I really don’t like you. I think you’re doing a disservice to Joe and also to the American people. When are you going to examine, you know, what is going on with Trump? Joe Biden conducted himself for four years taking care of the United States. He took meetings. He went overseas. He negotiated with other leaders.

This president has been pure chaos, which indicates to me that there is something wrong with him. We will never get a straight answer on his medical examinations, what medication he is on, and yet you have gone after Joe Biden with a vengeance that — I’m very disappointed in you. I enjoy watching your show, but not anymore.

And I think right now you ought to start writing another book examining Trump and how erratic [he is] and what he is doing, calling out the National Guard, the Marines, and everybody. When has a president ever done that? It’s pure erratic.

In response, Tapper argued that coverage around Trump is different because criticisms of the president are based more on his personality and not a decline in his condition. Tapper replied:

Sarah, as you know from watching my show on CNN, we cover President Trump every day for two hours — every day from 5 to 7 Eastern — and we cover all the things you talk about, in terms of the current president’s behavior. We have covered times that he has confused Nancy Pelosi with Nikki Haley.

I think some of the questions about President Trump’s behavior have more to do with personality than with cognitive decline; but, obviously, whatever lessons we’ve learned from covering President Biden, we would apply to any politician — any future politician or present politician. So I’m sorry if I’m disappointing you by covering President Biden, but journalists, we are supposed to cover stories that we think the American people have a right to know, that we think will enhance their understanding of how the country is run; and I think [Alex Thompson] and I are proud of this book.

But if you turn on CNN later today, tomorrow, the next day, you’ll see we’re continuing to focus on the today in our TV coverage.

Watch above via C-SPAN