Jake Tapper

Jake Tapper, born Jacob Paul Tapper on March 12, 1969, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is an award-winning Jewish-American journalist, author, and television anchor. Tapper’s career has included print, digital, and television media work.

Tapper’s early interests included political cartooning. Garry Trudeau, the creator of Doonesbury, inspired him. While in high school, Tapper was the editor of his school paper. He interned for Ed Rendell, who was running for mayor of Philadelphia. He attended Dartmouth College, graduating in 1991 with a degree in history and art. While at Dartmouth, he created a daily comic strip called Static Cling. After college, Tapper briefly attended film school at the USC School of Cinematic Arts but dropped out after one semester. He worked as a press secretary for Rep. Marjorie Margolies. He also worked for a public relations firm and as a spokesman for a gun control group.

Tapper began his journalism career at the Washington City Paper, where editor David Carr mentored him. He also worked as a freelancer for the Washington Post. From 1994 to 2003, he created the political cartoon series Capitol Hell, which appeared in Roll Call. His work has also appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, and The Weekly Standard.

Tapper’s career shifted to television with a six-month stint hosting CNN’s Take Five in 2001. This was followed by six months at VH1 covering music and pop culture. In 2003, he joined ABC News, first appearing on Good Morning America. He became the Senior White House Correspondent for ABC News after the 2008 elections. He was a regular on Good Morning America, Nightline, and World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer during this time. He won three consecutive Merriman Smith Awards for his presidential coverage from the White House Correspondents’ Association.

In January 2013, Tapper joined CNN as anchor and chief Washington correspondent. He currently anchors the weekday program The Lead with Jake Tapper, which debuted in March 2013. In June 2015, he also began hosting the Sunday morning show, State of the Union. In April 2021, he became the lead anchor for CNN for Washington, D.C. events. Tapper has moderated several presidential debates for CNN. His work has been recognized with a Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Television Political Journalism, a Los Angeles Press Club’s Presidents Award for Impact on Media, and a John F. Hogan Distinguished Service Award from the Radio Television Digital News Association.

Author In addition to his journalism career, Tapper is also an author. His books include:

Body Slam: The Jesse Ventura Story (1999)
Down and Dirty: The Plot to Steal the Presidency (2001)
The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor (2012) - debuted in the top 10 on The New York Times bestseller list.
The Hellfire Club (2018)
The Devil May Dance (2021)
All The Demons Are Here (2023)

Tapper’s Jewish identity has been a significant aspect of his life. He attended Akiba Hebrew Academy (now Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy) in the Philadelphia area. Tapper has spoken about how his Jewish upbringing gave him respect for all faiths. He is a member of Temple Micah in Washington, D.C., where his family attends services. Tapper has also spoken out against anti-Semitism. In the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in Israel, Tapper reported from Israel and spoke with survivors and family members of victims. He has also addressed the issue of how to report on graphic images and videos of violence. He has noted the importance of reporting these events because of those denying the atrocities.

Tapper has been married to Jennifer Marie Brown since September 3, 2006, and they have two children.

Sources: “Jake Tapper,” ballotpedia.
“Jake Tapper,” CNN.
“Jake Tapper – Biography,” IMDB.
“About Jake Tapper,” jaketapper.com.
“Jake Tapper,” Leading Authorities, Inc.
James Pasley, “The life of Jake Tapper: How a high school prankster became a journalistic icon, author, and champion of truth,” Business Insider, (September 10, 2019).
Aaron Troodler, “CNN’s Jake Tapper: Anchor, Author and Proud Jew,” Jewish Exponent, (November 15, 2023).

Photo: LBJ Library from Austin, PDM-owner, via Wikimedia Commons.