Jake Tapper facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jake Tapper
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Tapper in 2023
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| Born |
Jacob Paul Tapper
March 12, 1969 New York City, New York, U.S.
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| Education | Dartmouth College (BA) |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Employer | CNN |
| Organization | White House Correspondents' Association |
| Spouse(s) |
Jennifer Marie Brown
(m. 2006) |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Merriman Smith Memorial Award Emmy Award |
Jacob Paul Tapper (born March 12, 1969), known as Jake Tapper, is a well-known American journalist. He is a main anchor for CNN in Washington, D.C.
Jake Tapper hosts a daily news show called The Lead with Jake Tapper. He also co-hosts State of the Union, a Sunday morning show about current events.
Before joining CNN, Tapper worked for ABC News. There, he was the Senior White House Correspondent. He won several awards for his reporting, including three Merriman Smith Memorial Awards. He also helped cover the inauguration of President Obama, which won an Emmy Award.
Tapper's book, The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor, was a best-seller. It tells the story of American soldiers. For his reporting on veterans, he received the "Tex" McCrary Award for Excellence in Journalism.
In 2015, Tapper moderated a debate for Republican presidential candidates. More than 23 million people watched it, making it CNN's most-watched program ever.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jake Tapper was born in New York City. He grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His mother was a nurse, and his father was a doctor. Both of his parents are Jewish.
When he was young, Tapper spent summers at a Jewish summer camp. He attended a progressive elementary school. In eighth grade, he even drew a comic strip for a local newspaper!
He later went to Akiba Hebrew Academy, a Jewish day school. After that, he studied history at Dartmouth College. He graduated with high honors in 1991.
Career in Journalism
Tapper started his journalism career in 1998. For two years, he was a senior writer for the Washington City Paper. He won an award from the Society of Professional Journalists for his work there.
From 1999 to 2002, Tapper was a correspondent for Salon. He reported on important topics like the Enron scandal. He also questioned claims about weapons of mass destruction before the Iraq War.
In 2001, Tapper hosted a news talk show on CNN called Take Five. He also wrote for many famous magazines and newspapers.
Working at ABC News
ABC News hired Tapper in 2003. He covered many big stories, including the war in Baghdad and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
In 2008, he became the Senior White House Correspondent. This meant he reported on the President and his team. He won the Merriman Smith Memorial Award three times for his quick reporting.
He was also a key part of the ABC News team that won an Emmy Award. This was for their live coverage of President Obama's inauguration.
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Tapper often appeared on popular ABC shows like Good Morning America and Nightline. He interviewed many important leaders, including President Obama, Vice President Biden, and the head of the CIA, Leon Panetta.
Joining CNN
On December 20, 2012, it was announced that Jake Tapper would join CNN. He started in January 2013, hosting his own show, The Lead with Jake Tapper.
The Lead with Jake Tapper has won several awards for its reporting. It won prizes for covering major events like the Boston Marathon bombing and the Oklahoma tornadoes. The show has also been nominated for many Emmy Awards.
In 2015, Tapper's reporting led to a big change in Pentagon policy. The military had limited payments for caregivers of wounded service members. After Tapper's story, the Pentagon quickly changed the rule back.
In 2024, Tapper reported on families who wanted to place flowers on graves in overseas cemeteries, like those from D-Day. His report helped change a policy that had made this difficult for them.
In June 2015, Tapper also became the host of CNN's Sunday political show, State of the Union with Jake Tapper. He is known for asking tough questions to politicians from all political parties.
For example, he asked Senator Bernie Sanders to share his tax returns. He also asked Donald Trump if he would speak out against white supremacists.
In 2024, Tapper co-moderated a presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
Other Projects and Media
Tapper has written for many well-known publications. He also hosted a show on CNN in 2001 called Take Five.
In 2022, Tapper wrote a cover story for The Atlantic magazine. It was about a man named C.J. Rice who was wrongly in prison. Tapper's story helped lead to Rice's conviction being overturned in 2023, and he was set free in 2024.
Tapper also made a fun guest appearance on the TV show The Rookie in 2022. His son, Jack, appeared with him in the episode.
Published Works
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Jake Tapper has written several books. His first novel, The Hellfire Club, came out in 2018. It's a political thriller set in the 1950s. The book was a New York Times Best Seller.
He has written two more books in this series: The Devil May Dance (2021) and All the Demons Are Here (2023).
Tapper is also the author of The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor. This book is about U.S. troops in Afghanistan. It was also a New York Times Best Seller. A film based on the book was released in 2020.
He also wrote Down and Dirty: The Plot to Steal the Presidency, about the 2000 Presidential election.
From 1994 to 2003, Tapper drew a comic strip called Capitol Hell for Roll Call newspaper. He has also drawn cartoons for other publications.
Awards and Honors
Jake Tapper has received many awards for his journalism. As the Senior White House Correspondent for ABC News, he won three Merriman Smith Memorial Awards. These awards are for excellent reporting on the White House under tight deadlines. He won a fourth Merriman Smith Award at CNN.
In 2017, Tapper won the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Political Journalism. The judges praised his dedication to finding the truth and his strong interviewing style. He also received the John F. Hogan Distinguished Service Award.
In 2018, he won a Vetty award for his coverage of issues important to veterans.
Jake Tapper is often recognized as one of the most influential TV journalists in America. He is known for holding both Republican and Democratic politicians accountable.
He also has two honorary degrees from UMass Amherst and Dartmouth College.
Personal Life
Jake Tapper married Jennifer Marie Brown in 2006. They live in Washington, D.C., and have two children, Alice and Jack.
His daughter, Alice, created a Girl Scout patch called Raise Your Hand. She also wrote a book with the same name to encourage girls to be more confident. She even talked about it on The Ellen DeGeneres Show!
Tapper is a big fan of Philadelphia sports teams.
See also
In Spanish: Jake Tapper para niños
