A longstanding disagreement between Hunter Biden and CNN anchor Jake Tapper has become public amid the promotional tour for Tapper’s controversial book on former President Joe Biden’s cognitive issues. The conflict involves claims that Tapper contacted Hunter Biden during his brother Beau’s illness at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland, leading to a confrontation at Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The issue surfaced following Dylan Byers’ report in Puck about tensions between Tapper and the Biden family during the release of “Original Sin,” co-authored with Axios correspondent Alex Thompson. The book alleges a cover-up of the former president’s mental capacity during his final years in office.
Sources close to the Biden family report that Tapper repeatedly called Hunter Biden in late May 2015 while Beau Biden was in the hospital due to a recurrence of glioblastoma multiforme. Beau passed away on May 30, 2015, at age 46.
Hunter Biden initially ignored Tapper’s calls. When Tapper allegedly used a blocked number, Hunter answered, unaware of the caller’s identity. Sources recall Hunter’s response when Tapper reportedly requested he call when Beau died: “Go f*** yourself, Jake.”
The conflict escalated nearly three years later at Super Bowl LII on February 4, 2018, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. When Tapper approached Hunter Biden to shake hands, Biden reportedly threatened to knock Tapper out if not for the public setting. Witnesses described the encounter as intense, causing discomfort among VIP suite guests.
Hunter Biden confirmed these events in an interview with Breaker Media, stating the incident was unforgettable and deeply upsetting during a difficult time in his life. He maintained the events occurred as described and was still angry when he met Tapper at the Super Bowl.
Tapper has denied Hunter Biden’s account. In statements to Puck and Breaker Media, Tapper claimed he never called Hunter Biden and did not have his phone number. He described the allegations as a “patently false lie” and asserted he would not contact a family during such a personal crisis.
However, Tapper acknowledged that Hunter Biden confronted him at a Super Bowl event, claiming it was due to unrelated coverage on divorce allegations and drug use, which Hunter believed Tapper reported. Tapper insisted he did not cover those allegations concerning Hunter Biden.
An investigation into Tapper’s past coverage reveals he discussed Hunter Biden’s alleged drug use during a CNN segment in October 2014, contradicting his recent denials. This discrepancy has added complexity to the dispute.
Sources close to the Biden family described Hunter’s response to Tapper’s alleged calls as one of genuine anger. A person familiar with the situation explained that Tapper’s approach appeared opportunistic, as if Hunter’s priority during Beau’s illness would be providing Tapper with an exclusive story. This source emphasized Hunter’s view of Tapper’s actions as a pursuit of a scoop during a personal tragedy.
The conflict seems tied to broader tensions regarding media access. Sources indicate Tapper was frustrated with limited access to Joe Biden during his presidency, which reportedly escalated before Biden’s 2024 State of the Union address when CNN chose Erin Burnett instead of Tapper for an off-the-record White House briefing with network anchors.
Two people familiar with the situation described Tapper’s reaction as a “meltdown” over being excluded from the briefing. He reportedly made numerous calls to White House contacts, with one recipient recounting Tapper’s declaration: “I’m Jake Tapper and this is my network.”
Despite Tapper’s denials about the Walter Reed incident, he only interviewed Joe Biden once during his presidency, which sources say frustrated the CNN anchor. Tapper’s spokesperson attempted to discredit the allegations by highlighting that the Biden family later offered Tapper interviews and agreed to have him co-moderate a 2024 presidential debate.
The feud has intensified during Tapper’s tour for “Original Sin.” In a recent interview with Katie Couric on her “Next Question” podcast, Tapper criticized Hunter Biden as “provably, demonstrably unethical, sleazy and prone to horrible decisions,” specifically referencing Hunter’s relationship with his brother’s widow after Beau’s death.
Tapper and co-author Thompson depict Hunter Biden as acting like the “chief of staff of the family” during Joe Biden’s presidency, exerting undue influence over White House decisions despite his personal struggles. They suggest that protecting Hunter from legal issues was a factor in Biden’s decision to seek re-election in 2024.
The Biden family has challenged the book’s claims through various channels. Naomi Biden, Joe Biden’s granddaughter, criticized Tapper and Thompson as “irresponsible self-promoting journalists” relying on “unnamed, anonymous sources pushing a self-serving false narrative.” Former President Biden and former First Lady Jill Biden have also made media appearances to counter the book’s narrative.
The timing of this feud coincides with increased scrutiny of Tapper’s coverage of Biden’s cognitive abilities. Critics question whether Tapper adequately reported on concerns about Biden’s mental state during his presidency, given the book’s allegations of a cover-up.
This dispute highlights broader questions about journalistic ethics, access journalism, and appropriate boundaries between reporters and officials’ families during personal crises. If true, the allegations would represent a significant breach of journalistic standards regarding contact with grieving family members.