The Lead with Jake Tapper-logo

The Lead with Jake Tapper

CNN

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.

Location:

Washington, DC

Description:

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.

Twitter:

@theleadcnn

Language:

English


Episodes

C.J. Rice is freed after more than a dozen years in prison

3/18/2024
Where disinformation prevails and democracy fails Putin celebrates a resounding win, cementing another six years in power after the Russian presidential election. Plus, Haiti collapses into a gang-state and CNN is in the capitol to capture how violence is the law of the land. Also, Jake meets C.J. Rice after he finally tastes freedom after spending 12 years in prison for a crime he says he could not have committed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:22:50

D.A. Fani Willis can stay on GA elections case after top prosecutor resigns

3/15/2024
Nathan Wade, the top prosecutor in Donald Trump’s Georgia election interference case, resigns hours after district attorney Fani Willis was given an ultimatum: either he goes, or she does. So, where does the case against Trump go from here? Plus, utter devastation after a string of tornadoes hits the midwest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:00:42:30

Trump in federal court for critical hearing in docs case

3/14/2024
Moments ago the prosecutor in the New York Trump hush money payment case said he would be okay with a 30-day delay. This as the former president spent the day in a Florida courtroom as his lawyers argued for broad leeway under the Presidential Records Act as a reason to throw out the classified documents case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:24:02

Georgia judge drops six charges in Trump election subversion case

3/13/2024
Six charges have been dismissed in the election subversion case in Fulton County, Georgia. A judge says a lack of detail led to his decision. What does this mean for the rest of Fani Willis's case? Plus, a bill forcing TikTok to cut ties with China passes in the House with huge bipartisan support. But, will it pass in the Senate? And, should the U.S. Senate be in the business of banning companies? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:27:15

Special counsel defends Biden classified docs investigation

3/12/2024
Special counsel Robert Hur could have brought charges against President Biden and today explained on Capitol Hill why he did not. Republicans asked why there weren’t charges despite a report finding Joe Biden knowingly mishandled classified documents. Democrats accused Hurt of playing politics with his report. Plus, why did the Justice Department release a transcript of Biden's interview with Robert Hur just as the special counsel was showing up on Capitol Hill? We break down what the transcript reveals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:22:44

“Trump Employee 5” speaks publicly for first time

3/11/2024
“Trump Employee 5”, a man named Brian Butler, an employee of Trump for 20 years, is a central witness in the investigation into former President Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents. He is now speaking publicly because he believes that voters should hear the truth about his former boss and the case before the November election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:23:53

Republicans criticize Biden address as “overly partisan”

3/8/2024
The man Trump belittles as Sleepy Joe seemed quite fiery last night as the president tries to flip the script launching a campaign blitz just one day after his forceful State of the Union address. Plus, Donald Trump's one-on-one at Mar-a-Lago today, meeting with Hungary's Viktor Orban, the authoritarian leader known for anti-immigration nationalist rhetoric and who often cozies up to Vladimir Putin. Also, see what happened when CNN confronted Israeli protesters determined to make sure little food, if any, makes it into Gaza despite the overwhelming humanitarian crisis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:17:50

Biden to tout economy, draw sharp contrast with Trump tonight

3/7/2024
President Joe Biden is expected to deliver his State of the Union address tonight in a high-stakes moment to convince voters to give him a second term in the White House. The president's speech is expected to include calls for higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy. He also plans to take a swipe at former President Donald Trump, vow to restore Roe and acknowledge his age. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:15:44

Trump-Biden rematch set as Haley exists race

3/6/2024
Nikki Haley exits and clears the way for a Biden-Trump rematch. The president is making a play for her voters while Donald Trump is racking up some new GOP endorsements including a big one from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Also, a look at the chances of a third-party candidate jumping into this race this hour. The chief strategist for No Labels party joins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:00:42:53

Supreme Court unanimously keeps Trump on Colorado ballot

3/4/2024
All nine Supreme Court justices agree that Colorado cannot kick Trump off its 2024 ballots regardless of what he did on January 6th. There is a sharp divide in the court over important details despite this unanimous ruling. Plus, we'll get reaction from Trump's top Republican challenger, Nikki Haley, and from a conservative judge who thought the U.S. Supreme Court should disqualify Trump. Also, CNN is on the ground in yet another war torn country, this time its Haiti. We’re there to see up close how the explosion of gangs and crime have taken over. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:24:00

Will Willis be DQ'd?

3/1/2024
Fani Willis' fate is now in a judge's hands. She's the woman who charged Donald Trump with attempting to overturn the 2020 election in the state of Georgia. But now she herself is facing allegations of an improper relationship with the special prosecutor she put on the case. The judge says he'll make his decision in about two weeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:11:41

Political split screen at the border

2/29/2024
President Biden and Donald Trump are both in Texas trying to blame each other for the crisis at the border. Republicans and Democrats who represent border towns weigh in. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Trump's legal team is pushing back as yet another state has tried to take him off its 2024 ballot. Also on today's show: We explore the chaos on the coast in Gaza after the Israeli military opened fire as crowds rushed food aid trucks. More than 100 people are believed to have been killed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:41:25

McConnell to step down from Senate GOP leadership in November

2/28/2024
Mitch McConnell is stepping down as Senate Republican leader, though he is going to stay on as the senator from Kentucky. The new era of Republican politics is now loading. Plus, a monster wildfire is exploding in Texas, burning through land 11 times the size of Washington, D.C. Also, President Biden’s met with his doctor for his annual physical in what is expected to be the last update on Biden’s health before November’s election. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:31:48

Biden faces protest vote in Michigan primary over Gaza

2/27/2024
The Speaker of the House Mike Johnson was cornered by the president of the United States and his fellow top congressional leaders at what is being called by the Senate majority leader as of one of the most intense meetings he's ever been to in the Oval Office. Plus, CNN's Christiane Amanpour returns to Bucha, Ukraine, two years later. Also, we are very close to learning whether President Biden has a major problem in a crucial battleground state of Michigan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:26:11

Some Dems use Michigan vote to send Biden a message on Gaza

2/26/2024
A small but determined group of Democrats want to seize the moment and use the power of the vote in battleground Michigan to send a message to President Biden. They are demanding an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and military aid cut off to Israel. They want Democrats tomorrow to vote uncommitted instead for Biden. Congressman Dean Phillips, Biden's top democratic challenger in the primary race, joins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:22:29

One-on-one with Gavin Newsom

2/23/2024
The governor of California, one of the main Democrats floated, perhaps more than anyone else, as an alternative to Joe Biden, Gavin Newsom joins. Is he all in on President Biden's reelection bid? Gov. Newsom also discusses how he is trying to fix the problems in his state such as illegal immigration and skyrocketing homeless numbers. Plus, after two years since Russia invaded Ukraine, are Putin and his forces closer to threatening a NATO country in European territory? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:33:08

Biden calls Putin “a crazy S.O.B.”

2/22/2024
President Biden shares unfiltered remarks on what he really thinks not just about Putin but also Donald Trump. Nikki Haley joins this hour to discuss the latest in the presidential race. Plus, an investigation is launched into a widespread cell phone outage. What cut service for so long for tens of thousands of AT&T customers? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:23:31

Republicans brush off questions about ex-informant’s indictment

2/21/2024
The impeachment inquiry against Joe Biden appears to be possibly on somewhat shaky ground after the Justice Department alleged that the former FBI informant who appeared to have dirt on President Biden was actually peddling lies and getting his dirt from Russian intelligence. Plus, at look at the woman with the dual U.S.-Russian citizenship who was detained in Russia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:23:35

White House: U.S. to impose new sanctions on Russia

2/20/2024
A new warning from the Biden administration is that tough new sanctions are on the way for Russia for both the war in Ukraine and for the suspicious death of Putin's prominent critic Alexey Navalny. This as the Kremlin insists Navalny's remains cannot be released. Why not? Plus, what sources are now telling CNN about President Biden's new aggressive plan to go after the “crazy” statements that Donald Trump makes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:01:12:00

Kremlin: investigation into Navalny’s death is underway

2/19/2024
The widow of Alexey Navalny shares a new message for Russians to not be silent. She is accusing the Kremlin of hiding her husband's body, alleging that he was poisoned and urging Russians to take to the streets after his death. CNN is in Russia as police are rounding up hundreds of people mourning Putin's fiercest critic. Plus, the late night skit that has disgraced former congressman George Santos coming after Jimmy Kimmel in court. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Duration:00:43:06