The Lead with Jake Tapper
CNN Podcasts
300 episodes
CNN's lead DC anchor and chief Washington correspondent, Jake Tapper, hosts this two-hour long weekday afternoon program, with headlines from around the country and the world, the top stories in national and international news, politics, health, money, the environment, sports and popular culture. The Lead also concentrates on bringing stories that aren't found on front pages—buried leads—to the forefront.
Episodes page 1 of 6
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First Voter Poll: 62% Disapprove of Trump’s Performance
Continuing Midterm Election coverage with Anderson Cooper and Jake Tapper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Rep. Stevens Stuns Democrats, Endorses Republican in MI Senate Race
Midterm Election Day is tomorrow and nearly 56 million ballots have already been cast as Democrats hope to make historic gains in the House and Senate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
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DOJ Pushes for Injunction in Alaska Ballot Case
With four days until the midterm elections, CNN is tacking key races that could make or break control of Congress with the latest polls, forecasts, and analysis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
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Slotkin Urges Dems to Unify at El-Sayed Campaign Event
CNN’s team is all over the United States to bring you the latest on the key races that will decide the balance of power in Congress in next week’s midterm elections. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
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NYT Poll: Senate Race a Toss-up in Deep-Red South Carolina
With control of both the House and the Senate at stake both President Trump and former President Barrack Obama are back on the campaign trail this evening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
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Trump in Texas Where Democrats Hope to Snap Losing Streak in Key Races
CNN’s team of reporters are on the ground in battleground states keeping eye out for all the action with the upcoming midterm elections just a week away. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
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Nearly 30 Million Ballots Cast in Midterm Elections So Far
President Trump is attaching a cash prize to stop, what he claims without evidence, is widespread vote fraud. Plus, the Justice Department is trying to convince a California court that it should be able to immediately…
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Trump Admin Sues Alaska to Block Certification if the GOP Loses
More than 23 million Americans have already cast their ballots with only 11 days left until Election Day and the Trump administration is trying to sow some doubt in the integrity of elections. Learn more about your ad…
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Trump & Vance Back Ramaswamy Ad While Other Republicans Stay Away
President Trump finds himself compelled to head to ruby red Iowa with only 12 days left until the midterms despite having won the state by 13 percentage points in the last election. CNN brings you latest in the…
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Ramaswamy Stands by Ad Featuring Rivals Mom, Despite Backlash
The New Mexico attorney general files a civil lawsuit against two Epstein advisers. Plus, more than 15 million Americans cast ballots during early voting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
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Michigan Senate Candidates Take Questions on Their Economic Ideas
More than 10 million American voters have already cast their ballots in the midterm elections with in-person early voting starting today in some states. Plus, CNN goes inside a voting center in one key battleground…
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2,000+ Arrested After Protests Turn Into Deadly Rioting
President Trump is in yet another red state where he is trying to save a Republican seat. Plus, parts of France are under curfew this evening after protests spread into country-wide violence. Learn more about your ad…
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Officials Give Update on Oregon School Shooting
Police in Bend, Oregon provide an update on Thursday’s deadly mass shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School. So many questions remain unanswered as the Bend community grapples with such a horrific act of violence.…
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House Dems Ask Kimberly Guilfoyle for Records Related to Alleged Pay-to-Play Scheme
With 19 days until midterm elections, CNN is tracking the key races that could shift control of congress to Democrats. Plus, ranking member of the House Oversight Committee Rep. Robert Garcia joins to discuss potential…
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Trump Holds Rallies as Inflation Rises Ahead of Midterms
Only 20 days left until polls close in the 2026 midterm elections and President Trump is headlining a campaign rally in the swing state of Arizona. Plus, CNN is live in Texas ahead of tonight’s townhall with Senate…
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“Brutal”: WH Officials Pan Katie Zacharia’s First Press Briefing
The Vatican has confirmed Pope Leo XIV had a cancerous growth in his lung. CNN brings the latest updates on his health condition. Plus, CNN’s John King visits North Carolina to ask what issues are at the top of voters’…
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Trump Weighing Whether to Help Saudis Respond to Deadly Strikes
An early morning raid on the DC home of Rep. Ilhan Omar. Plus, a brand new investigation at the State Department into Kimberly Guilfoyle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Gulf Coast Bracing for Life-Threatening Storm Surge, Strong Winds
A brand new forecast for Hurricane Isaias. The National Hurricane Center warns conditions are rapidly deteriorating along the northern Gulf Coast. In just a few hours, Hurricane Isaias is expected to make landfall…
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New Polls, Debates Give Democrats Hope with 26 Days Until Midterms
With 26 days left until the midterm elections, CNN looks at three key races for Senate and what voters are revealing about the candidates in two of those races. Plus, oil companies along the Gulf Coast are bracing for…
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Trump Admin Presses Russia for Information as it Struggles to Plan for Potential Plague Fallout
President Trump says he has a call with Vladimir Putin about the plague after a lab worker’s death. Should the public be worried? Plus, CNN is on board the troubled aircraft carrier that spent more than 10 months at…
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Top Intel Democrats Push DNI for Transparency on Election Security
The nation is four weeks away from midterm Election Day. Plus, a new audio recording surfaces in the alleged gang rape case at Cornell University. Also, unprecedented student protests rise across France. Learn more…
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Dozens Quarantined After Researcher at Russian Plague Laboratory Dies of “Unknown” Infection
The world wants to know what happened inside the Russian research laboratory. Plus, breaking news at Cornell University, a new audio recording emerges of the suspects involved in an alleged gang rape. Learn more about…
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Cornell Students Call for Transparency, Accountability from University
The alleged gang rape at Cornell University is now in the hands of a special prosecutor as we learn of a ketamine overdose and a drug-related arrest just one day before the alleged attack at that very same fraternity…
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Cornell Gang Rape Allegation Puts Focus on Campus Sexual Assault
Alabama reaches a landmark deal with TikTok over claims the app harmed children and teens. Plus, a public hearing in Ithaca, New York, home to Cornell University, where many are voicing their outrage over the…
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CNN Obtains Jane Doe’s 2024 Statement to Cornell Police
CNN has now obtained the six page signed statement from the woman known publicly as Jane Doe laying out exactly what she told university police back in 2024. Plus, new fallout over AI models going rogue. Learn more…
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Trump: A.I. Industry Will “Self-Police” as Rogue Agents Persist
How text messages about a basketball game lead to an embarrassing moment from one senator on Capitol Hill as he tried to accuse former special counsel Jack Smith of perjury. Plus, President Trump met this afternoon at…
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Woman Sues Cornell and Chi Phi Fraternity Over Alleged Gang Rape
36 days left until the midterm elections. A look at what CNN is learning about Trump’s aggressive campaign strategy as more candidates appear to be slipping away from the president’s support. Plus, an explosive lawsuit…
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RNC Trains New “Special Monitors” to Scrutinize Voting Machines
With just 39 days until midterm Election Day, a new ruling from the Supreme Court allows the Trump administration expanded access to review who is and who is not eligible to vote. Plus, did anything substantial come…
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CNN, MS NOW, Politico Back at WH as Media Ban Lawsuit Proceeds
Press access at the White House is tested after a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to temporarily reinstate press badges for the news outlets. A judge lays out next steps. Learn more about your ad…
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Judge in WH Press Ban Case: Will Respond “As Soon As I Can”
A judge’s ruling could come at any moment after a hearing this afternoon over the White House’s media ban against CNN, Politico, and MS NOW. Plus, Chinese leader Xi Jinping just landed in Washington and CNN breaks down…
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CNN Poll: Support for Trump’s Foreign Policy Falls to New Low
Kamala Harris is back on the campaign trail in Michigan. Can she help Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in the race for Senate? Plus, one of Trump’s former foreign policy advisers joins to discuss Trump’s speech today at the…
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Trump & NYC Mayor Mamdani Speak About Their Meeting
The Trump administration is facing a new lawsuit after the president bans CNN and other media outlets from the White House. Plus, no flights in or out at some of the busiest airports in the country. How a construction…
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Trump Says He’s Banning CNN, Politico, MS NOW from the WH
President Trump this afternoon in a social media post announced that he is going to ban CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House as “a result of their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!” Learn more about your ad…
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Trump Seen with “Kennedy Center Demolished” Poster
Does the president really think the Kennedy Center needs to be demolished if his name is not put on the building? Plus, OpenAI revealed six new instances of its bots going rogue. Learn more about your ad choices.…
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Trump Drags Down GOP with 48 Days to Go Until Midterms
President Trump is on his way to a campaign rally on the heels of some bad economic news. Today, the Federal Reserve ignored Trump’s demands and raised interest rates for the first time in years. Plus, mounting…
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Senators Question Patel on Midterms, FBI’s 2020 Election Probe
President Trump called into a Kennedy Center board meeting and yelled about his name not appearing on the side of the building. Plus, Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Justice Department will comply with the…
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Trump Dismisses AI Concerns as a “Hoax”
President Trump dismissed all the artificial intelligence doomsday warnings even though many of the warnings are coming from folks inside the AI industry themselves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
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25 Years After 9/11: The Cost of Leaders’ Decisions
25 years after the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, a nation remembers. Plus, the Supreme Court is reconsidering President Trump’s order to restrict voting by mail. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
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Anthropic Issues Report on Blocking “Threat Actors” Using Claude
$5,000 for every adult who is an American citizen if Republicans keep the House and the Senate is President Trump’s latest promise. Plus, one day after apocalyptic warnings about artificial intelligence, a new word…
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Ex-Anthropic Employee: A.I. Could “Kill Us All” by End of Decade
Stark warnings from experts at AI companies about how the technology might kill us all. Plus, as the Republican midterm convention begins, oil prices top $100 a barrel, diesel hits a record, and regular gas had its…
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Justice Dept Issues Subpoenas for Nevada Voter Data
56 days out from the midterm elections, what will the courts decide? Trump wants to dictate the voting process but it’s not just voting by mail at issue. Plus, President Trump has a new spin on his claims about 9/11.…
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NTSB: Plane Hit Van Carrying 7 People After Leaving Runway
At least five people are dead after an Amazon cargo aircraft overran the runway during a landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday afternoon, striking multiple vehicles and sending a thick black plume of smoke…
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Clancy Defense Attorney: Jurors Robbed by “Lone Holdout”
Another dramatic day in court ends with a mistrial in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial. So, will the Massachusetts woman face another trial over allegations of killing her three children? Learn more about your ad…
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Clancy Defense Atty: One Juror “Refuses to Listen to the Law”
The judge has ordered the jury in the Lindsay Clancy trial back to court tomorrow for a seventh day of deliberations. At one point, Clancy’s defense abruptly pushed back revealing it is a single juror who is keeping…
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Lindsay Clancy Jury Remains Deadlocked
After five days there is still no verdict in the Lindsay Clancy trial as the judge pushes the jury for a unanimous decision. Plus, 62 days before the midterms and some campaign ads feature a Republican not on the…
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DHS Plans to Launch Voter Fraud Investigation Surge
A whistleblower has quite the warning about mail-in voting. Plus, a brand new round of strikes in Iran. Also, the jury is deadlocked in the trial of Lindsay Clancy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
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Two Dead, 15 Others May Be Missing in Grand Canyon Flash Flood
The rush is on to find hundreds of missing people believed to be trapped in tunnels after Nepal’s catastrophic flooding last week. Plus, flash flooding at the Grand Canyon killed two people with a dozen others still…
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570+ Dead, 2,500 Missing in Nepal-China Flood
Town after town buried in thick mud in Nepal and the formation of a second lake is raising fears of more flooding. Plus, President Trump with a new proposition for US ranchers. Can he win back farmers who criticized…
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Trump Signs Order Renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America”
President Trump claims Canada is ripping off the United States. So, on top of the tariffs Trump is formally changing the name of Lake Ontario. Plus, CNN is in Nepal where crews are searching for those missing after…
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Unstoppable Floodwaters in Nepal & China Kill more than 150 People
A massive wall of water swept through valleys and towns along the Nepal and China border with deadly consequences. An urgent search is now underway for those killed, injured, or still missing after the torrent of flash…
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