The Lead with Jake Tapper

In her new book, the star witness for the January 6th committee hearings, Cassidy Hutchinson, says Rudy Giuliani groped her according to an excerpt obtained by The Guardian. Plus, tough questions were put to Attorney General Merrick Garland at a House Judiciary Committee hearing focused on allegations surrounding Hunter Biden. Also, a sobering statistic from the US Census Bureau shows child povert...

President of Poland Andrzej Duda joins to discuss the Ukraine war as he urges the United Nations to remember World War II as well as Putin’s imperial ambitions. Plus, Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau links India’s government in the assassination of a prominent Sikh leader on Canadian land. Also, a look at new testimony from the whistleblower who alleged political interference in the federal c...

First, inside the negotiations to release several American prisoners held in Iran. As part of the deal, the US unfroze $6 billion in Iranian funds. Plus, Jeffrey Clark, whom Trump almost appointed as attorney general, irritated a judge by not showing up for a hearing. Also, while bargaining tasks continue between Ford, General Motors, Stellantis, and the United Auto Workers (UAW) union, the UAW sa...

The United Auto Workers union is now on strike, pushing for higher pay and better benefits. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) joins to answer how she believes this can be resolved and if everyone is bargaining in good faith as a former presidential candidate and current US Senator joins the picket line. Plus, 32 of Donald Trump’s Twitter direct messages have been turned over to the special counsel as...

New legal trouble emerges for Hunter Biden who has been indicted on federal charges, accused of lying to buy a gun and possessing it while addicted to drugs. Plus, Trump’s Fulton County, Georgia case is delayed and a new date has not yet been set. The lawyer for Kenneth Chesebro has been provided a mass trove of evidence culminating in eight terabytes of data. Also, talk shows are back in producti...

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy gathers Republican Party colleagues and defends his call to order an impeachment inquiry into President Biden without sufficient evidence to convince all of his fellow House Republicans. Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.) joins to answer if there’s a chance Biden is not impeached once the inquiry begins. Plus, the escaped killer from a Pennsylvania prison has been captured in...

Under the threat of being ousted himself, House Speaker McCarthy directed GOP-led committees to investigate the president and his connections to his son’s business dealings. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin joins to provide his take on the impeachment effort and Speaker McCarthy not having a floor vote. Plus, the Pennsylvania manhunt for an escaped inmate escalates as authorities learn the escapee...

A deadly earthquake in Morocco has killed over 2,800 people and the death toll is expected to rise as rescues crews are underway. Plus, new sightings of the escaped Pennsylvania inmate though he is nowhere near the Pennsylvania prison where he escaped. New door bell cameras capture his moves and his clean shaven look. Also, President Biden addresses the nation as the US marks 22 years since 9/11. ...

Prominent names, including Sen. Linsdey Graham (R-S.C.), emerge in a special grand jury report revealing folks who narrowly escaped indictment in Fulton County, Georgia. The report now made public sheds even more light into the alleged conspiracy to steal those 16 electoral votes and who was involved. Plus, a Philadelphia police officer was charged with murder after shocking body cam video release...

Former Trump White House trade adviser Peter Navarro has been found guilty on two counts of contempt of Congress. Plus, That ‘70s Show actor Danny Masterson has been sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for multiple counts of rape. Also, President Biden is heading to the G20 amid negative poll numbers and a looming possible indictment for his son Hunter.  To learn more about how CNN protects li...

The US Senate will move forward on three spending bills next week, including a short term spending bill to avoid a government shutdown. Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) joins to discuss if bipartisan efforts have been made to find consensus on spending. Also, Donald Trump said he would absolutely testify in his own defense in the Fulton County, Georgia case. Plus, a look at the charges of conspiracy to ove...

The former chairman of the of the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, was sentenced to 22 years in prison for seditious conspiracy and leading a failed plot to prevent the transfer of power from Trump to Biden. Plus, the secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force join to demand Sen. Tuberville (R-Ala.) to end his military hold because of his objection to the Pentagon’s abortion travel care policy.  To l...

Recently Hollywood writers and actors, now autoworkers could be next to walk off the job and into the picket line demanding more than just higher pay. Their union leader joins to answer if the strike will happen and what’s next for negotiations. Plus, a shift in the 2024 race as America comes off summer vacation and the candidates zero in on the first contest on the calendar. Also, China proposes...

The rioter who smashed in that Capitol window and another who helped organize the violent attack have been handed lengthy prison sentences. Plus, a demand for answers from grieving parents. 13 US service members were killed in the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. Gold star families this week asked their leaders pointed questions. Also, reports suggest the Women’s Tennis Association is considering h...

A hefty prison sentence today for a rioter in the January 6th attack as Donald Trump himself continues to stay out of jail. This as a federal judge determined that Rudy Giuliani has lost a defamation lawsuit from two Georgia election workers against him. Plus, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas finally discloses his fancy trips and jet rides paid for by a Republican megadonor. Also, Jake goes o...

We just got a new update that Idalia is no longer a hurricane and is now a tropical storm after lashing Florida as a devastating Category 3 hurricane. The area of Florida’s Big Bend seems to have taken the biggest hit where some areas experiencing so much water in the streets that only the roofs of homes were visible. Plus, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell had another episode today where he...

In what could be a once in a lifetime weather event for parts of Florida, Hurricane Idalia is rapidly intensifying as it makes its way through a warmer than normal Gulf of Mexico. A majority of Florida’s counties are under a state of emergency. Plus, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre joins to discuss federal support for the storm once it makes landfall. She also addresses the Biden ad...

A tropical storm is expected to hit Florida’s Gulf Coast ahead of an expected Category 3 landfall starting Tuesday into Wednesday. Also, according to school officials, a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill faculty member was killed in a campus shooting. The school says the suspect is now in custody. Plus, the judge in Washington, DC presiding over Trump’s criminal case surrounding his effo...

Donald Trump is now selling pictures of his mugshot on t-shirts, mugs, and other campaign gear. All eighteen of his co-defendants are now formally booked at the Fulton County jail. On Monday, Mark Meadows will make his case for a move out of Fulton County and into federal court. We examine why that move may impact all co-defendants in the Georgia indictment. Plus, Russian investigators now say the...

Trump is making his way to Georgia to surrender at the Fulton County jail. Trump has agreed to a $200,000 bond which also orders him from using social media to target co-defendants or witnesses. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is asking for the trial of Trump and the other 18 co-defendants to begin on October 23rd. We bring you live coverage and updates on Trump’s arrest. To learn more...

Russian warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin, who attempted a mutiny against Putin two months ago, has possibly died. Russian state media says he was on the passenger list of a plane that crashed earlier today and that all passengers were killed. CNN does not yet have confirmation that Prigozhin was on that plane. Also, out of Georgia, Rudy Giuliani was just released after being arrested in Fulton County for...

A flurry of activity in Georgia today including a brand new legal filing just moments ago from former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows asking for an emergency court order to avoid arrest. This as several of Trump’s codefendants surrendered today. Plus, eight candidates are set to face off in the first GOP presidential primary debate tomorrow and our own panel of guests join to discuss what...

President Trump’s bond in Georgia has been set at $200,000 as the former president and 18 co-defendants are expected to turn themselves into the Fulton County jail by the end of the week. Plus, tropical storm Hilary is drenching California with a year’s worth of rain in a single day and 25 million people from Southern California to Idaho are now under flood watches. Also, a California store owner...

President Biden met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at Camp David amid concerns of Beijing and provocative behavior from North Korea. Plus, over 1,000 people are still missing after devastating wildfires leave over 100 dead in Hawaii. Also, according to sources, more negotiations over Trump’s surrender in Fulton County are to take place in person...

A federal judge has been threatened and specific contact information for Georgia grand jurors were plastered throughout right-wing websites. We examine how Donald Trump’s legal troubles are leading to further security issues and fears of violence. Also, a look at the heartbreaking accounts from Hawaii as wildfire victims are starting to find the remains of their family members. Plus, an Idaho Teac...