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Tapper Tells Ex-Viewer Trump’s Behavior Is More About ‘Personality’ Than Cognitive Decline

A former viewer of Jake Tapper’s CNN program, expressing deep disappointment, publicly criticized the veteran journalist for publishing a book that portrays President Joe Biden in an unflattering light and alleges cognitive decline. The viewer argued that Tapper should instead be scrutinizing what she described as the “erratic” behavior of President Donald Trump. Tapper defended his stance, attributing Trump’s behavior more to “personality” traits than to “cognitive decline.”
On a C-SPAN call-in show (video below), the viewer, identified by the name “Sarah,” told Tapper, “right now, I really don’t like you.”
She accused Tapper of doing a “disservice” to President Biden, “and also to the American people.”
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“When are you going to examine, you know, what is going on with Trump?” she asked.
“Joe Biden conducted himself for four years, taking care of the United States. He took meetings, he went overseas, he negotiated with other leaders.”
But President Trump, Sarah said, “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 examination. What medication he is on,” she charged.
She also accused Tapper of going after President Biden “with a vengeance,” and expressed that she is “very disappointed” in the reporter.
“I enjoyed watching your show, but not anymore,” she added.
The caller urged Tapper to write another book, focused on President Trump, “and how erratic and what he is doing—calling out the National Guard, the Marines and everybody. When has a President ever done that? It is pure erratic.”
Tapper, who sat through the 75-seconds of criticism largely stone-faced, responded by saying that on CNN he does cover President Donald Trump “every day for two hours, every day from 5 to 7 Eastern.”
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He insisted that they “cover all the things you talk about, in terms of the president, the current president’s behavior. We have covered times that he has confused Nancy Pelosi with Nikki Haley.”
But Tapper appeared to disagree with Sarah’s perception that “there is something wrong” with President Trump. Despite his age (79) and reported lifestyle, Tapper insisted, “I think some of the questions about President Trump’s behavior have more to do with personality than with cognitive decline.”
“But obviously,” he continued, “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’s run, and I think Alex and I are proud of this book.”
Watch the video below or at this link.
C-SPAN caller to Jake Tapper: “Right now I really don’t like you … When are you going to examine what’s going on with Trump? … 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… pic.twitter.com/juTOEOOL6z
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 17, 2025
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