Jake Tapper's stage manager claims CNN host 'knew' about Biden’s cognitive decline during 2024 campaign

NEW YORK, NEW YORK CITY: In a newly released undercover video from the O'Keefe Media Group on Thursday, June 12, Jake Tapper’s stage manager, Pablo Parada, made explosive claims that Tapper and everyone at CNN "knew" about former president Joe Biden’s mental decline during the 2024 presidential campaign.

Parada also revealed that Biden had been noticeably sharper in previous years. The video has quickly gone viral, raising fresh questions about what major media figures knew, and chose not to report, during the election.

What did Pablo Parada claim in hidden camera footage?

Stage manager Pablo Parada told an undercover journalist from the O'Keefe Media Group that “everyone” at CNN was aware of Joe Biden’s mental decline during the 2024 campaign.

“Even Tapper, like, wrote a book about it. I mean, he doesn’t want to reveal that in front of us, but…,” Parada stated, adding that he had met Biden twice and remembered him being noticeably sharper in earlier years, specifically during his time as vice president and when he first ran for president.

Parada also shared behind-the-scenes insights into Tapper’s reaction to editorial decisions, especially regarding coverage of Donald Trump.

“Sometimes he [Jake Tapper] gets frustrated when we are covering too much about something, such as Trump. He’s like, ‘Why do we need to cover it?’… ‘Why are we still doing this?’… ‘More things are important, you know?” the stage manager said. 

He went on to clarify that anchors like Tapper don’t have control over what stories are featured. “You know that the news are not managed by them. There are a lot of producers, executive producers. Also, you have the morning call that includes the CEO of the company. And they talk about what they want to cover during the day,” Parada added. 

Jake Tapper's contrasting statements about Joe Biden's mental decline

Although Jake Tapper has not publicly denied knowledge of former president Joe Biden’s mental decline, he does address the issue in his recent book, 'Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again', which he co-authored with Axios journalist Alex Thompson.

The book outlines in detail the 82-year-old's cognitive and physical deterioration in the lead-up to the 2024 election, as per Fox News.

He told his CNN viewers while announcing his book in February, "As viewers of ‘The Lead’ know, I’ve been covering the concerns about President Biden's age and health for years. literally asked him about it in October 2022, and we’ve challenged Democrats and White House officials about it."

However, this acknowledgement contrasts sharply with Tapper’s earlier stance. In a 2020 interview with Lara Trump, the CNN host dismissed her claims about Biden’s alleged cognitive issues and instead accused her of mocking Biden’s stutter.

Tapper said, "It's so amazing to me — a ‘cognitive decline.’ I think you were mocking his stutter. Yeah. I think you were mocking his stutter and I think you have absolutely no standing to diagnose somebody's cognitive decline. I would think somebody in the Trump family would be more sensitive to people who do not have medical licenses diagnosing politicians from afar."

This apparent shift in narrative has drawn criticism online, with some accusing Tapper of hypocrisy. 

Pablo Parada says Jake Tapper avoids political talk during private discussions

Pablo Parada also shed light on Jake Tapper’s personal preferences when off-camera, noting that the anchor often avoids political talk in private conversations. “When we talk, we just talk about everything but news. Like, personal life, things like that. His book. He loves talking about his book," Parada said.

In the 8-minute 35-second video, Parada also referenced a segment by Jon Stewart that poked fun at Tapper for frequently promoting his book on air. According to Parada, Tapper reacted the following day by saying, “I’m not going to show them to them… because of that Stewart, Jon Stewart segment, making fun of me.”

When asked if Tapper was bothered by the criticism, Parada said, “He was just, ‘No, I’m not mad.’ And I’m like, yeah, clearly. It just hurt."

Beyond Tapper’s personal reactions and editorial frustrations, the stage manager revealed deeper uncertainty within CNN’s corporate structure. “We heard, like, the company now, they want to sell it [CNN],” he said, describing it as a potential strategic move.

He outlined CNN’s evolving ownership over the years, noting, “Originally, we were under the umbrella of Turner… then, we were sold for AT&T… now, we are under Warner Brothers, Discovery. And now, we just heard, some people say that there are, you know, maybe a new one.”

Internet reacts to Jake Tapper’s stage manager’s revelations 

The video of Jake Tapper’s stage manager disclosing that everyone at CNN was aware of Joe Biden’s mental decline sparked widespread concern and discussion online.

One said, "Keep it up James, expose these criminals!!!" referring to James O'Keefe, who launched O'Keefe Media Group in 2023.

Another shared, "This is something we all obviously knew, but it's nice to have proof... in your face, Jakey boy," while one slammed Tapper, writing, "Fake Jake Has No Shame!!"

An enraged netizen wrote, "And that is why I  always call him FAKE YAPPER !!!" "It's not that everyone knew, it's that everyone lied, for years," another said. 

In a sarcastic tone, a person remarked, "But it was a conspiracy theory," possibly referring to the media dismissing concerns about Biden's decline during his 2024 presidential campaign. 

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