Jake Tapper admits to apologizing to Lara Trump over 2020 interview
Biden's mental acuity while in office continues to be a lightning rod despite Trump taking office again in January.
The focus on the former president's health was reignited by the promotional tour for the book and inflamed again when it was announced that Biden has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
"You lectured her on how she was in no position to diagnose cognitive decline which you, which you guys do at length, including on page four of your book," Kelly said.
What happened in 2020?
Lara Trump had made disparaging remarks at a "Women for Trump" 2020 campaign event that were played by Tapper during the October 2020 edition of "State of the Union," saying, "Every time he comes on stage and they turn to him, I'm like, 'Joe, can you get it out. Let's get the words out.'"
Tapper then asked, "how do you think it makes little kids with stutters feel when they see you make a comment like that?"
Trump then responded that she did not know Biden had a stutter, which was a well-documented disability the then-presidential candidate has.
"I think what we see on stage with Joe Biden, Jake, is very clearly a cognitive decline. That's what I'm referring to," Trump added.
Tapper then shut down the interview, telling Trump, "I think you have absolutely no standing to diagnose somebody's cognitive decline."
Tapper tell all takes heat
Tapper, along with co-author Alex Thompson of Axios, has also faced criticism of the book from the center and left wings of political spectrum.
Naomi Biden, the former president's granddaughter, called the book "political fairy smut for the permanent, professional chattering class," in an X post made Monday, May 19.
Jon Stewart skewered the rollout of the book on the May 19 episode of the Daily Show, questioning why the authors held the information gathered for the book.
"How (expletive) weird it is that the news is selling you a book about news they should've told you was news a year ago for free," Stewart said.
Stewart also pointed out that the continued promotion of the book on CNN could be seen in poor taste.
"It's just fun to watch them not only continue to push the book in light of this difficult news, but to actually frame this difficult news as perhaps even more of a reason to buy this book," Stewart said.
Kieth Olbermann, the left-wing commentator and former MSNBC host, went further than his former cable rival on the May 19 edition of "Countdown with Keith Olbermann."
"The car in which all of the Biden acuity truthers and reporters and book writers and finger-waggers and editors in Washington has just stopped suddenly." Olbermann said. "They have been ejected from vehicle from which they were climbing over each other to drive it faster and faster and you deserve it utterly, Tapper and Alex Thompson."
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