Latest news with #PiersMorgan
Daily Mail
14 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Tapper's new book alleges Biden health cover-up 'worse than watergate'
CNN 's Jake Tapper admitted that the cover-up of Joe Biden's cognitive decline in the White House may have been 'worse than Watergate.' Tapper compared Biden's White House deception to President Richard Nixon and one of the greatest scandals in political history during an interview with Piers Morgan about his campaign tell-all Original Sin. 'This is an entirely separate scandal. Maybe even worse … maybe even worse,' Tapper ultimately admitted. 'It is without question – and maybe even worse than Watergate in some ways because Richard Nixon was in control of his faculties when he was not drinking.' Tapper's new book delves into the elaborate and painstaking efforts taken by Biden's inner circle to hide the true extent of the his health problems. Morgan challenged Tapper by asking him to justify his written conclusion that the 'hiding and cover-up of his deterioration is not Watergate.' That's when the CNN anchor actually admitted that he got it wrong. In fact, he told Morgan it 'may be worse' than the 1972 scandal, in which the Nixon administration attempted to cover up a burglary at the Democratic National Committee headquarters. Nixon was forced to resign and 'Watergate' is now synonymous with political corruption, becoming somewhat of a benchmark through which subsequent administrations are judged. Tapper went on to try to clarify the quote Morgan referenced in the book, which concluded: 'Joe Biden is not Richard Nixon (pictured), and the hiding and cover-up of his deterioration is not Watergate.' Morgan had argued: 'I am not entirely sure I agree, Jake, with that conclusion.' But Tapper said the only reason they included the caveat in the book was because they had spoken with a Watergate investigator who discussed 'how powerful the presidency is and how presidents get surrounded by people who have a vested interest in keeping that president propped up.' Tapper in particular has faced enormous backlash for his reporting in the book, with critics arguing he was part of the so-called 'cover-up' he is now trying to expose. But he maintains he trusted Biden and his aides and took them at their word when they assured him that all was well. Tapper in particular has faced enormous backlash for his reporting in the book, with critics arguing he was part of the so-called 'cover-up' he is now trying to expose. The turning point for him was the disastrous debate between Biden and Trump in June 2024, which he and fellow CNN star Dana Bash moderated. The duo had iPads which they used to communicate with their production team throughout the debate. Early on, Tapper sent a message to his crew backstage. He didn't know which staff were working, so he 'tried to keep it clean.' 'I wrote 'holy smokes,' he told Megyn Kelly. 'I wanted to write 'holy [expletive].' Around the same time, Bash slid him a piece of paper, with her own message on it. It read: 'He just lost the election.' Kelly was among the leading voices critical of Tapper's rol e in the cover-up, telling him: 'There is a way of pressing a man like that on the actual infirmities to bring it home to him and to the audience and you didn't do it.' After further criticism of a now-infamous 2020 exchange between Tapper and Lara Trump, during which Tapper shamed her for mentioning Biden's 'cognitive decline', Tapper accepted fault for his past reporting. 'Knowing what I know now, obviously I feel tremendous humility about my coverage,' Tapper told Kelly, while also admitting that 'conservative media was correct' in how it handled the story. 'There should be a lot of soul-searching not just among me but among the legacy media to begin with - all of us - for how this was covered or not covered sufficiently,' he said. 'I wish I could do differently.' Following the car-crash debate, Biden ultimately dropped out of the race and endorsed Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee. But his antics following that decision continued to infuriate both Harris and fellow Democrats. During a 9/11 commemoration event, he was pictured wearing a MAGA hat at the behest of a member of the crowd, jovially signing the cap and laughing with his audience. Then, whispers from his camp revealed he genuinely believed he could have defeated Trump. 'What is he doing?' Harris asked her team, according to the book. 'This is completely unhelpful. And so unnecessary.' In October, Biden told supporters 'we got to lock him up,' when talking about former President Donald Trump, at a time when Trump and his supporters were accusing Biden and Harris of 'lawfare' to remove him from the presidential race. Later that month, Biden also referred to President Trump's supporters as 'garbage,' which the campaign famously branded as an insult to working class Americans. While the book is brimming with startling revelations, the authors have been on a PR blitz trying to legitimize it amid concerns that they failed to report the truth whilst it was happening. Tapper even enlisted the expertise of crisis PR maven Risa Heller, who has represented the likes of convicted Theranos fraudster Elizabeth Holmes and Hollywood predator Harvey Weinstein. He said the PR guru has helped him with 'advice' as they make the book's 'rollout as smart as possible.' On Sunday, Thompson was asked by Fox News host Shannon Bream about an anecdote referenced in the book about advisors justifying 'undemocratic' actions in an effort to prevent Donald Trump from returning to the White House. Reading aloud from the book, Bream quoted an unnamed aide as saying: '[Biden] just had to win, and then he could disappear for four years. 'He'd only have to show proof of life every once in a while… His aides could pick up the slack.' Thompson revealed that the source 'went on to say that, when you're voting for a president, you're voting for the aides around him.' 'These aides were not even Senate-confirmed aides,' he said. 'These are White House aides, these were unelected people. 'And one of the things that really I think comes out in our reporting here is that if you believe - and I think a lot of these people do sincerely believe that Donald Trump was and is an existential threat to democracy - you can rationalize anything. 'Including sometimes doing undemocratic things, which I think is what this person is talking about.' And that revelation came on the back of a startling claim that a trio of senior political veterans who had known Biden for decades worked closely with his wife, Dr Jill Biden, and occasionally his troubled son, Hunter, to run the show. Mike Donilon, Steve Ricchetti and Bruce Reed were the core three decision-makers, the book claims, adding that former senior advisor to the president Annie Tomasini and former White House chief of staff Ron Klain were also 'at times' part of the group. 'Five people were running the country, and Joe Biden was at best a senior member of the board,' one source told the authors. 'In practice, Bruce Reed was the real domestic policy adviser, Mike Donilon was the actual political director, Steve Ricchetti controlled Legislative Affairs, and Klain controlled a bit of everything.' According to the book, both Jill and Hunter Biden were prominent and permanent fixtures within Biden's circle of trust. This is despite aides and insiders partially blaming Hunter for the president's rapid deterioration. 'To understand Joe Biden's deterioration, top aides told us, one has to know Hunter's struggles,' the book stated. While promoting his book, Tapper was asked about Hunter's role in the administration and influence over his father. Fueled by information garnered through interviews with more than 200 people for the book, Tapper answered: 'I think Hunter was driving the decision-making for the family in a way that people - he was almost like a chief of staff of the family. It's bizarre because I think he is provably demonstrably unethical, sleazy, and prone to horrible decisions,' Tapper added. 'After his brother died, he cheated on his wife with his brother's widow and then got her addicted to crack.' The recent revelation that Biden has been diagnosed with late-stage prostate cancer also sparked rampant conspiracy theories about whether medical professionals were aware of his illness while he was president. Biden's team have maintained he was not tested for prostate cancer while he was president, and that the diagnosis is recent. That reassurance has not stopped MAGA loyalists from demanding his long-term physician Kevin O'Connor be subpoenaed to answer questions about Biden's health. O'Connor repeatedly assured the American public during Biden's term that he was healthy and could have served another four years. Simultaneously, several of Biden's closest aides are facing pressure to reveal how much control they had over his autopen after Trump raised questions about who was really in charge during the Biden administration. According to the book, which is based on hundreds of interviews, 'access' to Biden diminished significantly during his White House term, as his staff allegedly walled him off, even from cabinet members. One cabinet secretary told the authors that he didn't brief the president directly in 2024 but only spoke to the president's aides. Even still, insiders maintained they were not aware of how dire the situation had become until it was too late, despite Biden's repeated gaffes and tumbles on the public stage. One of the most shocking incidents took place in September 2022 incident Biden called out for Republican Congresswoman Jackie Walorski at a White House event. 'Jackie, are you here? Where's Jackie,' he said scanning the audience. 'She was going to be here.' Walorski had been killed in a car crash in August and Biden and the First Lady had issued a statement extended condolences to her family at the time. Another standout moment for Tapper was when Biden did not recognize actor George Clooney at a 2024 fundraising event, along with the revelation that White House aides were considering placing the president in a wheelchair if he were reelected.
The Sun
a day ago
- Business
- The Sun
Emirates airline president reveals staggering cost to transform Qatari ‘sky Palace' into Trump's new Air Force One jet
DONALD Trump's luxury "sky Palace" gifted to him by Qatar will cost a few billion dollars, says the President of Emirates airline. The US government now faces a "Herculean task" to transform the huge Boeing 747-8 into a new Air Force One fit for a president, warns Sir Tim Clark. 9 9 9 9 President Trump, 78, sparked concerns earlier this month with his willingness to accept the plush flying mansion from the Qatari royal family. The giant gift, worth an estimated $400m (£300m), has raised several ethical questions about if the US leader should be allowed to accept such expensive goods from other states. But despite the controversy, Trump gladly took the 13-year-old mega jet back to Washington with him. He now plans to make it part of his Air Force One fleet alongside two other Boeing 747-200 jumbo jets. They have been operational since 1990 but are now said to be not up to scratch compared to modern planes such as Qatar's 747-8. In order for it to become a fully fledged member of the president's aviation arsenal however, it will need to go through some serious work. It would have to be kitted out with top-tier communications and security tech before ever ferrying around Trump. And significant retrofitting and clearance from security officials would be required. Sir Tim, president of Emirates, told Piers Morgan Uncensored that President Trump's flashy plans may cost a 'couple of billion dollars'. He explained to Piers: 'I think you're talking a couple of billion dollars to start with. "Just roll back a little bit and look at what it takes for us to convert our 777s - from the old to the new - because we haven't got the Boeing's coming in at the pace we want them so we're having to reconfigure all of them." The top aviation boss said trying to fix up all the jets as an airline has been an extremely tough task. Tim admitted to "pulling his hair out" over the regulators and the tiny tweaks that have to be made to modernise a plane of that size and stature. And he believes the US government will face an even trickier - and much more expensive - battle to get the gifted plane ready for presidential trips. He said: "It's a Herculean task, make no mistake about it. "Whether President Trump will adapt fully, this present from Qatar, to an Air Force One I doubt it, but he'll certainly get a lot of it done." Aviation specialist Jeff Wise also told The Sun that he expects the Air Force One replacement to take years and need billions of dollars pumped into the project to make the jet viable. Trump's Air Force One jets currently in use come with dozens of specialised security features. 9 9 9 These include armoured glass and plating, on board flares to confuse enemy missiles, mirror-ball defences and even an electric jamming system. Another unique yet needed element is an electromagnetic shield for nuclear explosions. This has to be on a presidential plane as the leader of Washington can actually launch a nuke from the aircraft. But the new Qatari jet lacks most of these security features. Instead, the lavish aeroplane boasts a luxurious interior, featuring spacious suites and rooms with ornate interior decoration. It also has glittering gold-coloured furnishings and hallways that echo Trump's well-know interior design preferences. The president is believed to have spent an hour inspecting the plan when when it was parked at West Palm Beach International Airport back in February. The luxury Boeing was once even listed for a whopping $400 million, according to the Business Jet Traveler. During his first stint in office, Trump had ordered two new Air Force One jumbo jets from Boeing to replace the pair that have been in service since George H. W. Bush's presidency. But the Boeing contract has faced delays, and reports suggest the new plans would not be ready until after Trump leaves the Oval Office. By Chief Foreign Reporter, Katie Davis A LAVISH jumbo jet Donald Trump plans to receive from Qatar will be vulnerable to hacking, an expert has warned. The Boeing 747 - dubbed a "palace in the sky" - could even be blasted out the sky, aviation specialist Jeff Wise believes. He fears Trump may bypass necessary measures to save time and money - which could therefore invite hacking or a devastating assassination attempt. Wise told The Sun: 'This Air Force One would be a major intelligence target for any adversary nation or even our allies, because allies love to spy on each other. 'The United States is being given this albatross that they are going to have to spend billions of dollars on to fix up for the personal use of Trump. 'If your job is to protect the President of the United States or if your job is to protect the secrets of the United States, then this is a massive headache for you. 'This is a plane that does not have secure communications and the anti-missiles defence systems that a normal Air Force One has. It's just wide open. 'This is an administration that is completely irresponsible in the way they use their personal devices. They're using these off-brand apps to communicate. It's just a hacker's dream.' Wise continued: 'I would say an increasing number of people would like to target Air Force One. 'America's list of enemies is growing longer and longer as we become an increasingly horrible nation, from the Houthis to the Iranians to the Russians.' 9 9
Gulf Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
World needs ambition like Sheikh Mohammed's, says Piers Morgan
Dubai's scale of evolution, transformation and dynamism is contagious, said renowned British broadcaster and media personality Piers Morgan, while praising the bold vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai. Recalling the construction of the Burj Khalifa, Morgan noted that when the tower was just 40% complete, Sheikh Mohammed instructed it be pushed to become the tallest building in the world. "That's the level of ambition the rest of the world needs. Be bigger, better and higher in everything we do,' he said. Piers Morgan speaks during the session at the Arab Media Summit in Dubai. From admiration for Dubai's amazing growth to a hard-hitting critique of global media challenges, Morgan's session at the Arab Media Summit with Mina Al Oraibi, Editor-in-Chief of The National, on Wednesday, touched upon ambition, truth, controversy, and the future of journalism. He was speaking on the third and final day of the Summit organised by the Dubai Press Club. The session addressed controversies around his coverage of the Gaza conflict "I'm not here to take sides, I'm here for 'The Truth,' Morgan emphasised. Responding to Al Oraibi's point about his rising influence in the Middle East, Morgan cited his viral debate with comedian Bassem Youssef, which garnered over 22 million views. "That moment showed us the world was watching,' he said, recounting how the two later met in Los Angeles for an extensive discussion that helped him understand the region's complex history. Sheikha Latifa and Dr Anwar Gargash with Piers Morgan during the Arab Media Forum in Dubai. He clarified that he is not a reactionary. "I change my views when the facts change. My job is not to take sides, it's to stand with 'The Truth;' not your truth or my truth, but 'The Truth',' he explained. He warned of a rising tide of misinformation, citing a recent UK case where a woman was jailed over a now-deleted social media post. "She apologised, yet she's serving two years. That's baffling. Where do we draw the line?' "Free speech must be protected,' he said, "but it must not be confused with fake news. Facts are sacred. Agree on the facts; then debate your opinions.' While Morgan admitted he still enjoys reading print newspapers, he was blunt about their future: "No one under 35 is consuming traditional media. They get their news from TikTok and X. That's the reality.'' Emphasising the importance of credibility in the age of AI, when social media gives News, he said, "Let everyone be a journalist, but for trained professionals, individual credibility is important.' Asked why he doesn't shy away from controversy, Morgan was candid: "I love controversy! It makes people watch me. But never on false promises. I am the voice of common sense. That's what most people relate to.' He cautioned against overestimating noise on social media: "Only 20% of people are on X, and it's 8% of them making the noise. That doesn't represent reality.' When asked about the future of media, Morgan responded, "Legacy media is in the dark ages. Look at where youngsters are today; they are on phones, laptops, YouTube. That's the future.' As the session closed, Al-Oraibi emphasised the importance of responsible journalism in shaping informed societies, while Morgan reiterated that in a world full of noise, truth still matters, and real ambition can reshape the world.
Emirates 24/7
3 days ago
- Business
- Emirates 24/7
The world needs ambition like HH Sheikh Mohammed's, says Piers Morgan
Dubai's scale of evolution, transformation and dynamism is contagious, said renowned British broadcaster and media personality Piers Morgan, while praising the bold vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai. Recalling the construction of the Burj Khalifa, Morgan noted that when the tower was just 40% complete, Sheikh Mohammed instructed it be pushed to become the tallest building in the world. 'That's the level of ambition the rest of the world needs. Be bigger, better and higher in everything we do,' he said. From admiration for Dubai's amazing growth to a hard-hitting critique of global media challenges, Morgan's session at the Arab Media Summit with Mina Al-Oraibi, Editor-in-Chief of The National, on Wednesday, touched upon ambition, truth, controversy, and the future of journalism. He was speaking on the third and final day of the Summit organised by the Dubai Press Club. The session addressed controversies around his coverage of the Gaza conflict 'I'm not here to take sides, I'm here for 'The Truth', Morgan emphasised. Responding to Al-Oraibi's point about his rising influence in the Middle East, Morgan cited his viral debate with comedian Bassem Youssef, which garnered over 22 million views. 'That moment showed us the world was watching,' he said, recounting how the two later met in Los Angeles for an extensive discussion that helped him understand the region's complex history. He clarified that he is not a reactionary. 'I change my views when the facts change. My job is not to take sides, it's to stand with 'The Truth'; not your truth or my truth, but 'The Truth',' he explained. He warned of a rising tide of misinformation, citing a recent UK case where a woman was jailed over a now-deleted social media post. 'She apologised, yet she's serving two years. That's baffling. Where do we draw the line?' 'Free speech must be protected,' he said, 'but it must not be confused with fake news. Facts are sacred. Agree on the facts; then debate your opinions.' While Morgan admitted he still enjoys reading print newspapers, he was blunt about their future: 'No one under 35 is consuming traditional media. They get their news from TikTok and X. That's the reality.'' Emphasising the importance of credibility in the age of AI, when social media gives News, he said, 'Let everyone be a journalist, but for trained professionals, individual credibility is important.' Asked why he doesn't shy away from controversy, Morgan was candid: 'I love controversy! It makes people watch me. But never on false promises. I am the voice of common sense. That's what most people relate to.' He cautioned against overestimating noise on social media: 'Only 20% of people are on X, and it's 8% of them making the noise. That doesn't represent reality.' When asked about the future of media, Morgan responded, 'Legacy media is in the dark ages. Look at where youngsters are today; they are on phones, laptops, YouTube. That's the future.' As the session closed, Al-Oraibi emphasised the importance of responsible journalism in shaping informed societies, while Morgan reiterated that in a world full of noise, truth still matters, and real ambition can reshape the world. Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.
The National
3 days ago
- General
- The National
Middle East media must set the tone for how the region is covered
Few regions consume media as enthusiastically as the Arab world. With growing internet penetration rates, a market for video-on-demand subscription services worth more than $1 billion and millions of young people getting their daily news and information on their smartphones, the Middle East is at the forefront of evolving media trends. It is little wonder then that this week's Arab Media Summit in Dubai has brought together more than 300 speakers and 6,000 participants, among them Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Grand Imam of Al Azhar Dr Ahmed El Tayeb and British media personality Piers Morgan. They joined many other notable voices – from influencers to editors – across journalism, digital content creation and communications, all seeking to chart a future for the region's media. It is a future that is exciting and bright but also challenging. For many years, the Middle East been portrayed in a one-dimensional fashion. Outdated tropes about unending conflict and militancy have arisen time and again in news reports, TV series and feature films, often side-lining the voices of the region's people. Therefore, it has been welcome to see the many discussions and insights arising from the summit reflect the vibrancy of media producers in the Arab world, from traditional outlets such as newspaper titles and TV channels to social media platforms and film production. However, in challenging times this vibrancy must also be matched by responsibility, especially when it comes to news reporting. Speaking at the summit on Tuesday, Dr El Tayeb, who is also chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, said Arab media 'has the biggest role in disclosing and showing the injustices in Gaza and keeping the Palestinian cause at the front of nations' minds'. He is right to suggest that it is journalists from the Middle East who should be the ones setting the tone for how the region's stories – good and bad – are told. It is critical that media owners, journalists and content creators meet at events such as Dubai's Arab Media Summit to shape the conversation To drive moves towards more holistic coverage of the Middle East, it is important for media outlets to dig deeper and focus on life in the region as it is lived, not as it is reported on from outside. Beshara, a weekly online newsletter published by The National, works to fulfil this mission by focusing on solutions-oriented stories, and positive developments, highlighting the work being done in the UAE and other parts of the Middle East to tackle some of society's most pressing problems. In a wider sense, the media has a social role to play. Speaking before the first day of the summit, Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai and chairman of the Dubai Media Council, called the media "a vital partner in development and a key driver of social awareness'. Well-informed societies tend to make better choices, and in an age of misinformation and widespread social media use – in essence, humanity having a real-time conversation with itself – it is important that media owners, journalists and content creators meet at events such as the Arab Media Summit to shape the conversation.
