Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Jake Tapper
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Jake Tapper made an impact.
Jake Tapper is a prominent American journalist who serves as the lead Washington anchor for CNN. He anchors the weekday news program *The Lead with Jake Tapper* and co-hosts the Sunday morning political affairs show *State of the Union*. His work focuses on news and politics.
1992: Campaign Press Secretary
In 1992, Jake Tapper served as a campaign press secretary for Democratic congressional candidate Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky.
1993: Introduction to The Complete Peanuts
In 2014, Jake Tapper wrote the introduction to The Complete Peanuts 1993 to 1994.
1994: Capitol Hell Comic Strip
From 1994, Jake Tapper's comic strip Capitol Hell appeared in Roll Call.
1997: Worked for Handgun Control, Inc.
In 1997, Jake Tapper worked for Handgun Control, Inc. (now the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence).
January 1998: Wrote About Lewinsky Date
In a January 1998 issue of the Washington City Paper, Jake Tapper wrote about his date with Monica Lewinsky.
1998: Senior Writer for Washington City Paper
In 1998, Jake Tapper began his full-time journalism career as a senior writer for the Washington City Paper.
1999: Washington Correspondent for Salon
In 1999, Jake Tapper became the Washington correspondent for Salon.
2000: Authored 'Down and Dirty'
In 2000, Jake Tapper authored 'Down and Dirty: The Plot to Steal the Presidency', based on the 2000 Presidential election.
2001: Host of Take Five
In 2001, Jake Tapper hosted the CNN news talk show Take Five.
2002: Hosted Entertainment News Specials on VH1
In 2002, Jake Tapper hosted a series of entertainment news specials on VH1.
2002: VH1 News Specials Correspondent
In 2002, Jake Tapper was the correspondent for a series of VH1 news specials.
2003: Hosted Shows on Sundance Channel
In 2003, Jake Tapper hosted shows focused on independent film on the Sundance Channel.
2003: Capitol Hell Ends
In 2003, Jake Tapper's comic strip Capitol Hell ended.
November 5, 2008: Named Senior White House Correspondent
On November 5, 2008, Jake Tapper was named Senior White House Correspondent for ABC News.
2008: Lead Reporter on 2008 Election
In 2008, Jake Tapper served as ABC News' lead reporter covering the 2008 presidential election, interviewing candidates like John McCain and Barack Obama.
July 6, 2009: Mediaite Launched
On July 6, 2009, Dan Abrams launched Mediaite.
July 2010: Interim Anchor of This Week
From March to July 2010, Jake Tapper was the interim anchor of ABC's This Week.
August 1, 2010: Amanpour Took Over This Week
On August 1, 2010, Christiane Amanpour took over as the anchor of ABC's This Week, following Jake Tapper's interim hosting of the program.
December 2010: Ranked Number Two on Mediaite
In December 2010, Jake Tapper ranked number two on Mediaite's list of most influential TV-based journalists in America.
2010: Interim Host of This Week
During much of 2010, Jake Tapper served as interim host of ABC's This Week, securing interviews with prominent figures like CIA director Leon Panetta and Vice President Biden.
2010: Merriman Smith Memorial Award
In 2010, Jake Tapper received a Merriman Smith Memorial Award for his story that President Obama had requested the resignation of his Director of National Intelligence, Admiral Dennis C. Blair.
August 31, 2011: Guest Bailiff on Judge John Hodgman Podcast
On August 31, 2011, Jake Tapper appeared on the Judge John Hodgman podcast as a guest bailiff, filling in for Jesse Thorn during the episode "De Plane".
November 2012: The Outpost Debuts on NYT Best Seller List
In November 2012, Jake Tapper's book, The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor, debuted at number 10 on The New York Times Best Seller list for hardback non-fiction.
December 20, 2012: Joins CNN
On December 20, 2012, it was announced that Jake Tapper would join CNN as an anchor and chief Washington correspondent.
January 2013: Started at CNN
In January 2013, Jake Tapper began his work with CNN, hosting his own program, The Lead with Jake Tapper.
2014: Introduction to The Complete Peanuts
In 2014, Jake Tapper wrote the introduction to The Complete Peanuts 1993 to 1994.
2014: Tex McCrary Award for Excellence in Journalism
In 2014, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society recognized Jake Tapper with the Tex McCrary Award for Excellence in Journalism for 'The Outpost' and his reporting on military topics.
2014: Policy Change
In 2024, on the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Jake Tapper reported on Gold Star families protesting a 2014 policy change by the American Battle Monuments Commission.
January 2015: Reporting Leads to Pentagon Policy Change
In January 2015, Jake Tapper's reporting on a new Pentagon policy resulted in the U.S. military changing a rule impacting caregivers for wounded service members.
June 2015: Became Host of State of the Union
In June 2015, Jake Tapper became the host of CNN's Sunday political show, State of the Union with Jake Tapper.
September 2015: Moderated Republican Primary Debate
In September 2015, Jake Tapper moderated a Republican primary debate that drew over 23 million viewers, becoming the most-watched program in CNN's history.
September 16, 2015: Moderated Republican Primary Debates
On September 16, 2015, Jake Tapper moderated two Republican primary debates from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
March 10, 2016: Moderated Republican Presidential Debate
On March 10, 2016, Jake Tapper moderated the Republican presidential debate in Miami, which garnered acclaim for its substance and drew almost 12 million viewers.
March 2016: "Infamous Tapper-Trump Exchange"
In March 2016, Jake Tapper asked Donald Trump if he would denounce support from white supremacists, the Ku Klux Klan, and David Duke, which Mitt Romney later referred to as "the infamous Tapper-Trump exchange".
May 23, 2016: Guest Illustrated Dilbert Cartoon
During the week of May 23, 2016, Jake Tapper guest-illustrated the Dilbert cartoon, and the drawings were auctioned to raise money for the Homes for our Troops Foundation.
2016: National Headliner Awards for The Lead
In 2016, The Lead was honored with two National Headliner Awards for its coverage, including Best Newscast and Best Coverage of a Major News Event for its coverage of the November 2015 Paris attacks.
2017: Awards and Recognition in 2017
In 2017, Jake Tapper received several awards, including the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Political Journalism, RTDNA's John F. Hogan Distinguished Service Award, CJF's Tribute Award, Moment Magazine's inaugural Robert S. Greenberger Journalism Award, and the Dartmouth Club of Washington's Daniel Webster Award for Distinguished Public Service.
2017: President's Award for Impact on Media
In 2017, the Los Angeles Press Club gave Jake Tapper its President's Award for Impact on Media.
April 24, 2018: The Hellfire Club Publication
On April 24, 2018, Jake Tapper's first novel, The Hellfire Club, was published.
2018: Merriman Smith Award
In 2018, Jake Tapper was awarded his fourth Merriman Smith Award as part of a CNN team that broke the news about the Steele dossier.
2018: Mediaite Recognition
In 2018, Jake Tapper was recognized by Mediaite for his "ability to hold Republicans and Democrats to account equally".
2018: Vetty Award in 2018
In 2018, Jake Tapper won a Vetty award, recognizing his coverage of veterans' issues.
July 2020: The Outpost Film Adaptation Released
In July 2020, the Rod Lurie-directed film adaptation of Jake Tapper's book 'The Outpost' was released.
2020: Response to 2020 Debate
Following the contentious first 2020 presidential election debate, Jake Tapper described it as a "hot mess inside a dumpster fire inside a train wreck".
January 2021: Expanded Role at CNN
In January 2021, CNN announced Jake Tapper's role would expand, making him the "lead anchor for all major Washington events," including election nights. Dana Bash was also announced to be joining Tapper as a co-host on State of the Union, with the pair alternating hosting weeks.
May 2021: The Devil May Dance Release
In May 2021, The Devil May Dance, the sequel to The Hellfire Club, was released.
October 5, 2021: Discussed Monica Lewinsky Date on CNN
On October 5, 2021, Jake Tapper and Monica Lewinsky discussed their platonic date on an episode of his CNN program, 'The Lead with Jake Tapper'.
October 2022: Published "This Is Not Justice"
In October 2022, Jake Tapper wrote a cover story for The Atlantic magazine about C.J. Rice, titled "This Is Not Justice".
2022: Mediaite Called Tapper "Top Dog"
In 2022, Mediaite called Jake Tapper "the top dog who could represent the CNN brand."
December 2023: C.J. Rice's Conviction Overturned
In December 2023, C.J. Rice's conviction was overturned.
2023: Mediaite Ranking
In 2023, Jake Tapper ranked number seven on Mediaite.
2023: All the Demons Are Here Published
In 2023, Jake Tapper released the third volume in the Hellfire Club series, entitled 'All the Demons Are Here'.
March 2024: C.J. Rice Exonerated
In March 2024, C.J. Rice was exonerated, thanks in part to Tapper's reporting.
March 18, 2024: C.J. Rice Exonerated
On March 18, 2024, Jake Tapper reported that Pennsylvania had freed and dropped the charges against C.J. Rice, a Philadelphian who had been in prison since 2011. Tapper's reporting and advocacy were instrumental in Rice's exoneration.
June 27, 2024: Co-Moderated Biden-Trump Debate
On June 27, 2024, Jake Tapper co-moderated a debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, which was viewed by more than 51 million people.
December 2024: Appeared on Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast
In December 2024, Jake Tapper appeared on the Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast, where he discussed and judged criterion sketches from the Lonely Island’s time at Saturday Night Live.
2024: Moderating Debates in 2024
In 2024, Jake Tapper co-moderated a GOP Primary Debate with Dana Bash and the 2024 presidential election debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, also alongside Bash.
2024: Mediaite Recognition in 2024
In 2024, Jake Tapper was ranked 23rd by Mediaite, recognized as one of America’s preeminent anchors for moderating a presidential debate and championing the release of C.J. Rice.
2024: D-Day Policy Reporting
In 2024, on the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Jake Tapper reported on Gold Star families protesting a 2014 policy change by the American Battle Monuments Commission.
2025: Original Sin Publication
In 2025, Jake Tapper's 'Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again' was published.
