CNN’s Jake Tapper Whacks Chris Cuomo: ‘He Put Us in a Bad Spot’

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CNN’s Jake Tapper acknowledged that his colleague, Chris Cuomo, put their employer in a “bad spot” by advising his scandal-plagued brother, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D).

“I cannot imagine a world in which anybody in journalism thinks that that was appropriate,” Tapper said in an interview with The New York Times published May 27. “So I agree with that. And he said, Chris, in his apology that he delivered on air, said that he put us in a bad spot. And I would also agree with that.”

Cuomo apologized on his program last week for giving advice to his brother on surviving allegations that he harassed roughly a dozen women, most of whom worked for him. Former U.S. Attorney Joon Kim is leading an investigation into allegations related to two current and three former aides. Separately, the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York is investigating allegations that Cuomo’s administration covered up deaths related to Covid-19 that took place in nursing homes — in addition to allegations that he inappropriately provided priority access to Covid-19 testing for members of his family.

This month, the revelation emerged that CNN’s Cuomo joined conference calls with the governor’s communications team, lawyers, and advisers to help form a defense strategy. His advice included suggestions that his brother take a “defiant position” and “hold firm,” and to paint efforts to remove him as “cancel culture.”

Tapper argued that while the issue might reflect on Cuomo’s colleagues, it didn’t influence their programming.

“It doesn’t affect my work,” he said. “Their work is not my work and my work is not their work. And yes, we all reflect on each other. But the only thing I have a role in, the only thing I have any control in, because I’m not management, right? I’m not the CNN bureau chief of D.C., I don’t have a say in anything other than what airs on my show.”