Shows / The Lead with Jake Tapper
The Lead with Jake Tapper
CNN's lead DC anchor and chief Washington correspondent, Jake Tapper, hosts this two-hour long weekday afternoon program, with headlines from around the country and the world, the top stories in national and international news, politics, health, money, the environment, sports and popular culture. The Lead also concentrates on bringing stories that aren't found on front pages—buried leads—to the forefront.
Episodes
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Slotkin Urges Dems to Unify at El-Sayed Campaign Event
CNN’s team is all over the United States to bring you the latest on the key races that will decide the balance of power in Congress in next week’s midterm…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
NYT Poll: Senate Race a Toss-up in Deep-Red South Carolina
With control of both the House and the Senate at stake both President Trump and former President Barrack Obama are back on the campaign trail this evening…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Trump in Texas Where Democrats Hope to Snap Losing Streak in Key Races
CNN’s team of reporters are on the ground in battleground states keeping eye out for all the action with the upcoming midterm elections just a week away. Learn…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Nearly 30 Million Ballots Cast in Midterm Elections So Far
President Trump is attaching a cash prize to stop, what he claims without evidence, is widespread vote fraud. Plus, the Justice Department is trying to…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Trump Admin Sues Alaska to Block Certification if the GOP Loses
More than 23 million Americans have already cast their ballots with only 11 days left until Election Day and the Trump administration is trying to sow some…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Trump & Vance Back Ramaswamy Ad While Other Republicans Stay Away
President Trump finds himself compelled to head to ruby red Iowa with only 12 days left until the midterms despite having won the state by 13 percentage points…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Ramaswamy Stands by Ad Featuring Rivals Mom, Despite Backlash
The New Mexico attorney general files a civil lawsuit against two Epstein advisers. Plus, more than 15 million Americans cast ballots during early voting…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Michigan Senate Candidates Take Questions on Their Economic Ideas
More than 10 million American voters have already cast their ballots in the midterm elections with in-person early voting starting today in some states. Plus…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
2,000+ Arrested After Protests Turn Into Deadly Rioting
President Trump is in yet another red state where he is trying to save a Republican seat. Plus, parts of France are under curfew this evening after protests…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Officials Give Update on Oregon School Shooting
Police in Bend, Oregon provide an update on Thursday’s deadly mass shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School. So many questions remain unanswered as the Bend…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
House Dems Ask Kimberly Guilfoyle for Records Related to Alleged Pay-to-Play Scheme
With 19 days until midterm elections, CNN is tracking the key races that could shift control of congress to Democrats. Plus, ranking member of the House…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Trump Holds Rallies as Inflation Rises Ahead of Midterms
Only 20 days left until polls close in the 2026 midterm elections and President Trump is headlining a campaign rally in the swing state of Arizona. Plus, CNN…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
“Brutal”: WH Officials Pan Katie Zacharia’s First Press Briefing
The Vatican has confirmed Pope Leo XIV had a cancerous growth in his lung. CNN brings the latest updates on his health condition. Plus, CNN’s John King visits…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Trump Weighing Whether to Help Saudis Respond to Deadly Strikes
An early morning raid on the DC home of Rep. Ilhan Omar. Plus, a brand new investigation at the State Department into Kimberly Guilfoyle. Learn more about your…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Gulf Coast Bracing for Life-Threatening Storm Surge, Strong Winds
A brand new forecast for Hurricane Isaias. The National Hurricane Center warns conditions are rapidly deteriorating along the northern Gulf Coast. In just a…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
New Polls, Debates Give Democrats Hope with 26 Days Until Midterms
With 26 days left until the midterm elections, CNN looks at three key races for Senate and what voters are revealing about the candidates in two of those…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Trump Admin Presses Russia for Information as it Struggles to Plan for Potential Plague Fallout
President Trump says he has a call with Vladimir Putin about the plague after a lab worker’s death. Should the public be worried? Plus, CNN is on board the…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Top Intel Democrats Push DNI for Transparency on Election Security
The nation is four weeks away from midterm Election Day. Plus, a new audio recording surfaces in the alleged gang rape case at Cornell University. Also…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Dozens Quarantined After Researcher at Russian Plague Laboratory Dies of “Unknown” Infection
The world wants to know what happened inside the Russian research laboratory. Plus, breaking news at Cornell University, a new audio recording emerges of the…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Cornell Students Call for Transparency, Accountability from University
The alleged gang rape at Cornell University is now in the hands of a special prosecutor as we learn of a ketamine overdose and a drug-related arrest just one…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Cornell Gang Rape Allegation Puts Focus on Campus Sexual Assault
Alabama reaches a landmark deal with TikTok over claims the app harmed children and teens. Plus, a public hearing in Ithaca, New York, home to Cornell…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
CNN Obtains Jane Doe’s 2024 Statement to Cornell Police
CNN has now obtained the six page signed statement from the woman known publicly as Jane Doe laying out exactly what she told university police back in 2024…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Trump: A.I. Industry Will “Self-Police” as Rogue Agents Persist
How text messages about a basketball game lead to an embarrassing moment from one senator on Capitol Hill as he tried to accuse former special counsel Jack…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Woman Sues Cornell and Chi Phi Fraternity Over Alleged Gang Rape
36 days left until the midterm elections. A look at what CNN is learning about Trump’s aggressive campaign strategy as more candidates appear to be slipping…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
RNC Trains New “Special Monitors” to Scrutinize Voting Machines
With just 39 days until midterm Election Day, a new ruling from the Supreme Court allows the Trump administration expanded access to review who is and who is…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
CNN, MS NOW, Politico Back at WH as Media Ban Lawsuit Proceeds
Press access at the White House is tested after a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to temporarily reinstate press badges for the news outlets. A…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Judge in WH Press Ban Case: Will Respond “As Soon As I Can”
A judge’s ruling could come at any moment after a hearing this afternoon over the White House’s media ban against CNN, Politico, and MS NOW. Plus, Chinese…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
CNN Poll: Support for Trump’s Foreign Policy Falls to New Low
Kamala Harris is back on the campaign trail in Michigan. Can she help Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in the race for Senate? Plus, one of Trump’s former foreign…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Trump & NYC Mayor Mamdani Speak About Their Meeting
The Trump administration is facing a new lawsuit after the president bans CNN and other media outlets from the White House. Plus, no flights in or out at some…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Trump Says He’s Banning CNN, Politico, MS NOW from the WH
President Trump this afternoon in a social media post announced that he is going to ban CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House as “a result of their…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Trump Seen with “Kennedy Center Demolished” Poster
Does the president really think the Kennedy Center needs to be demolished if his name is not put on the building? Plus, OpenAI revealed six new instances of…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Trump Drags Down GOP with 48 Days to Go Until Midterms
President Trump is on his way to a campaign rally on the heels of some bad economic news. Today, the Federal Reserve ignored Trump’s demands and raised…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Senators Question Patel on Midterms, FBI’s 2020 Election Probe
President Trump called into a Kennedy Center board meeting and yelled about his name not appearing on the side of the building. Plus, Attorney General Todd…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Trump Dismisses AI Concerns as a “Hoax”
President Trump dismissed all the artificial intelligence doomsday warnings even though many of the warnings are coming from folks inside the AI industry…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
25 Years After 9/11: The Cost of Leaders’ Decisions
25 years after the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, a nation remembers. Plus, the Supreme Court is reconsidering President Trump’s order to restrict…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Anthropic Issues Report on Blocking “Threat Actors” Using Claude
$5,000 for every adult who is an American citizen if Republicans keep the House and the Senate is President Trump’s latest promise. Plus, one day after…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Ex-Anthropic Employee: A.I. Could “Kill Us All” by End of Decade
Stark warnings from experts at AI companies about how the technology might kill us all. Plus, as the Republican midterm convention begins, oil prices top $100…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Justice Dept Issues Subpoenas for Nevada Voter Data
56 days out from the midterm elections, what will the courts decide? Trump wants to dictate the voting process but it’s not just voting by mail at issue. Plus…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
NTSB: Plane Hit Van Carrying 7 People After Leaving Runway
At least five people are dead after an Amazon cargo aircraft overran the runway during a landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday afternoon, striking…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Clancy Defense Attorney: Jurors Robbed by “Lone Holdout”
Another dramatic day in court ends with a mistrial in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial. So, will the Massachusetts woman face another trial over allegations of…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Clancy Defense Atty: One Juror “Refuses to Listen to the Law”
The judge has ordered the jury in the Lindsay Clancy trial back to court tomorrow for a seventh day of deliberations. At one point, Clancy’s defense abruptly…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Lindsay Clancy Jury Remains Deadlocked
After five days there is still no verdict in the Lindsay Clancy trial as the judge pushes the jury for a unanimous decision. Plus, 62 days before the midterms…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
DHS Plans to Launch Voter Fraud Investigation Surge
A whistleblower has quite the warning about mail-in voting. Plus, a brand new round of strikes in Iran. Also, the jury is deadlocked in the trial of Lindsay…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Two Dead, 15 Others May Be Missing in Grand Canyon Flash Flood
The rush is on to find hundreds of missing people believed to be trapped in tunnels after Nepal’s catastrophic flooding last week. Plus, flash flooding at the…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
570+ Dead, 2,500 Missing in Nepal-China Flood
Town after town buried in thick mud in Nepal and the formation of a second lake is raising fears of more flooding. Plus, President Trump with a new proposition…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Trump Signs Order Renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America”
President Trump claims Canada is ripping off the United States. So, on top of the tariffs Trump is formally changing the name of Lake Ontario. Plus, CNN is in…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Unstoppable Floodwaters in Nepal & China Kill more than 150 People
A massive wall of water swept through valleys and towns along the Nepal and China border with deadly consequences. An urgent search is now underway for those…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Country Music Legend Dolly Parton Dies at 80
Legendary country music artist and philanthropist, Dolly Parton, died today at the age of 80. CNN looks back on her life and legacy. Learn more about your ad…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Supreme Court Backs Trump’s Order to Curb Mail Ballots
The US Supreme Court just granted President Trump’s request for permission to implement his executive order overhauling and restricting mail-in ballot systems…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
The Atlantic: NPS Changed the Way it Prioritizes Projects to Expedite Trump’s Requests
President Trump reacts to the ruling from the Supreme Court that the White House ballroom construction can go on, for now at least. So, how is President Trump…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Michael Cohen Interviews Trump Years After Dramatic Falling-Out
What President Trump told his former fixer, Michael Cohen, on his radio show today. Cohen joins to discuss. Plus, a look at why so many women are rallying…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Study: New Treatment Cuts Recurrence Speed of Melanoma
On the heels of consequential primary race results, some of the big winners join the program. Plus, President Trump says that North Korea has 57 powerful…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Republicans Confront Growing Midterm Peril as Iran War Drags On
172 days in and still no clear path out of the war with Iran. Plus, Minnesota Democratic Attorney General Keith Ellison joins to discuss why he’s suing…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Trump Says North Korea’s Kim Jong Un Responded to Call for Talks
President Trump’s deadline to make a deal with Iran has come and gone. All he has to show for it is $4 gas, a tax on the Strait of Hormuz, and US troops on…
The Lead with Jake TapperSpecial Bonus - Introducing: Civilian or Spy
When a Russian-born American citizen named Ilya Beloozerov is gunned down by the FBI in 2024, the authorities refuse to say why they’d killed him. CNN’s…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Wife of U.S. Service Member Aboard USS Lincoln Speaks Out
Luigi Mangione plead guilty to stalking charges in federal court and admitted to shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Plus, new comments from Trump…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Sailor Went Overboard amid Reports of Poor Ship Conditions
A growing call for answers and remedies for the toll of the Iran war on United States service members. Multiple reports detail worsening mental health and…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Leaving White House
A huge win for the Democratic establishment in Wisconsin as they defeat a democratic socialist candidate in the governor’s race by just a few thousand votes…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Darline Graham Fights for Her Brother’s Seat in SC Senate Primary
Voters in six states pick their candidates tonight in races that could help determine the future of the Democratic Party. CNN brings you all the latest from…
- The Lead with Jake Tapper
Executive Order on Childhood Vaccines
President Trump announced major changes to childhood vaccination, including how many immunizations are recommended for a child’s earliest years. Plus, the…