The Lead with Jake Tapper

Israel’s military has issued a warning to 1.1 million people living in northern Gaza to evacuate amid signs that Israel is set to ramp up its retaliatory offensive against Hamas. Also, House Republicans have picked Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) as their new speaker nominee just hours after Rep. Steve Scalise won the speaker nomination but dropped out of the race abruptly. For daily information on the I...

America’s top diplomat delivered an in-person message to the Israeli people who are greiving and wounded. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States will never back down from its support of Israel. He is on his way to meet with other US allies in the region, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, Qatar, and Jordan after standing side by side with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.  For da...

Behind closed doors today, the majority of Republicans chose Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) to be their nominee to succeed Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif) as speaker. Plus, the war in the Middle East appears to be expanding as Israel has now formed an emergency wartime government. The Israeli government is also accusing the Iranian regime of giving the green light to Hamas.  For daily information on the...

As the death toll rises in both Israel and Gaza, the White House says 20 or more Americans are missing in Israel, this in addition to the 14 Americans killed in Israel. President Biden pledged full support for Israel. A spokesman for the Israeli military says several rockets were also fired from Syria. This as Israeli airstrikes pound Gaza while Hamas launches more rockets. To learn more about how...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that Israel’s response to the attacks carried out by Hamas is just beginning. The United State is surging military aid to Israel after the attack left at least 900 dead in Israel, while more than 680 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military according to Gaza’s health ministry. President Biden said at least 11 Americans have been killed i...

Sources tell CNN that just ousted Kevin McCarthy will leave Congress before the end of his term, perhaps as soon as a new speaker is elected. This as Donald Trump endorses a replacement for House speaker who once was called a legislative terrorist by a past Republican speaker. Plus, a bold message arrives in exclusively to CNN from a female activist behind bars in Iran who was just awarded the Nob...

Sources tell CNN that Donald Trump wants to go to Capitol Hill to add his two cents on the debate over who should be the next speaker of the House. But, do Republican lawmakers want him there? Plus, one of the deadliest strikes hits Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s invasion leaving more than 50 civilians dead. Also, facing bipartisan pressure to address the border crisis, the Biden administ...

The race for House speaker begins after Kevin McCarthy was fired in a historic vote. We analyze how we got to this political moment. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) joins to discuss if Jim Jordan or Steve Scalise would be more promising regarding bipartisan legislation. Plus, the US will transfer seized weapons from Iran to Ukraine as Biden worries about the future of funding for Ukraine amid the ch...

Today’s The Lead showcast has been pre-empted by breaking news coverage of the House vote to oust Kevin McCarthy as speaker. For recent news updates be sure to check out CNN’s ‘5 Things’ at: edition.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/5-things. Thanks for listening. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With millions of dollars on the line and his future businesses in New York at stake, Donald Trump shows up for day one of his civil fraud trial, blasting not only prosecutors, but insulting the very judge who will decide how much Trump must pay in a case where he has already been found liable for fraud. Plus, the Fulton County district attorney overseeing the Georgia election subversion case, issu...

House Speaker McCarthy was unable to deliver a spending bill to deliver to the Senate in order to avoid a shutdown. Will he risk his job by cutting a deal with Democrats in order to get the government up and running? Plus, New York City is under a state of emergency as a month’s worth of rain is expected to fall in just hours. Also, an arrest has been made in the decades long case of the murder of...

With two days left until a government shutdown, tensions erupted between GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Speaker McCarthy as House Republicans met behind closed doors according to a source in the room. Also, GOP candidates spar in the second debate for the Republican presidential nominee, calling out an absent Donald Trump. Plus, a look at America’s mental health crisis which has some of the best...

Tonight, Republican presidential candidates will fight for second place in GOP polling as the frontrunner, Donald Trump, skips the debate. Our panel discuss what messaging, positions, and strategies the candidates may take on key issues. Plus, in an effort to avoid a government shutdown, a new short-term bill was outlined by Speaker McCarthy which would include provisions for the border.  To learn...

As former President Trump is vying for another term in the White House, threatening to dismantle political norms, investigate his adversaries, and seek retribution for perceived slights, former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson joins for an extensive interview. She discusses why Trump should never be president again, why she came forward to testify, how seriously she takes Trump’s threats, if Tr...

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) said there is a good reason he had nearly $500,000 in cash in his home as he denies the federal bribery charges against him. Plus, with less than a week until a government shutdown, House Speaker McCarthy tells CNN that he is not worried about getting ousted if he cuts a deal with Democrats. Also, a look at what Trump and Biden's planned visits to Michigan amid the Unite...

A sweeping indictment accuses Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) with accepting bribes, pressuring a US official, and spilling sensitive information to benefit a foreign government. Prosecutors allege bribes included gold, cash, a luxury vehicle, and more. Plus, Congress leaves for long weekend with just 8 days left to fund government and prevent a shutdown. Also, Ukraine strikes the Russian Black Sea...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy visits Washington D.C., requesting assistance in Russia’s war with Ukraine. Plus, according to sources, House GOP leaders send members home for the week amid deep divisions and a looming shutdown. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) join to share plans to reach consensus with GOP hardliners. Also, the FBI has been asked to assist in an...

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. ...