The Lead with Jake Tapper

President Biden just arrived in San Francisco preparing for his first meetings ahead of his one-on-one tomorrow with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Plus, a defining vote for the new House speaker, but does he have bigger problems as GOP colleagues are physically throwing blows? House Republican Rep. John James of Michigan joins to talk about the chaos in his conference. Learn more about your ad cho...

Donald Trump is on a 2024 campaign of vengeance and vile remarks vowing to root out his political opponents and leveling everyone against him as vermin while making some extreme plans to round up every undocumented immigrant and put them in camps. Plus, former Trump attorney Michael Cohen joins to discuss Donald Trump Jr. finishing up his testimony in the New York civil fraud trial. Also, our corr...

A global outcry sounds over the civilian deaths in Gaza. America’s top diplomat, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, said far too many Palestinians have been killed. This as we learn about warnings from other American envoys in Arab countries. Plus, sources are telling CNN the FBI has seized the phones of New York City Mayor Eric Adams as an investigation heats up into possible illegal campaign con...

Democratic Senator Joe Manchin says he won’t seek re-eleciton, but will he run for higher office? Plus, a plumber, a maid, and even a chauffeur may be among the names of people who may be a witness in the criminal case against former President Trump. Also, Kevin McCarthy sits down for an exclusive interview with CNN one month after his fall as speaker of the House.  Learn more about your ad choice...

“Democracy won and MAGA lost” according to President Biden after big wins for Democrats including Ohio voters approving a constitutional right to an abortion and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear winning reelection. Plus, for the very first time in American history, the daughter of a former president of the United States has been forced to testify as a witness in a case against her father.  Learn more ab...

Tonight’s The Lead showcast has been pre-empted by breaking news coverage of election day in America. For recent news updates, be sure to visit CNN’s ‘5 Things’ at: edition.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/5-Things Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A historic and contentious day in court court has just come to a close after Donald Trump spent the day on the stand in New York repeatedly clashing with the judge, the very person who will decide how much the Trumps must pay after having been found liable for fraud. Plus, the Palestinian Ministry of Health says more than 10,000 deaths have taken place in Gaza since Israeli launched its military o...

Israel has just claimed responsibility for an attack outside a hospital in Gaza City. Footage shows multiple people dead and injured people on the ground near the Al Shifa Hospital which is Gaza’s largest medical facility. Also, the military leader of Hezbollah spoke on Friday to warn that clashes at the Israel-Lebanon border have a possibility of escalating into a broader Middle East conflict.  F...

Tonight’s The Lead showcast has been pre-empted by breaking news coverage of the Isreal-Hamas war. For recent news updates, be sure to visit CNN’s ‘5 Things’ at: edition.cnn.com/audio/podcasts/5-Things Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Israel ramps up its bombardment, innocent civilians are finally being allowed to leave war-ravaged Gaza. An Egyptian official tells CNN that 361 foreign nationals left Gaza and entered Egypt through the Rafah crossing today. CNN speaks with the family of an American who got out of Gaza about what it was like visibly seeing her family member leaving Gaza.  For daily information on the Israel-Gaz...

Israel has acknowledged it was behind an enormous explosion at a refugee camp in Gaza which left catastrophic damage. The Israeli military said that it killed a top Hamas commander in the strike while Hamas denied the claim. Also, top US officials testified on Capitol Hill as House Republicans have proposed a bill to give aid to Israel but not Ukraine. Plus, during a Senate hearing Tuesday, FBI Di...

Despite the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the thousands of casualties, including an untold number of civilians and children, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed calls by some for a ceasefire. Plus, an American trapped in Gaza sends voice memos describing dwindling resources.  For daily information on the Israel-Gaza conflict, check out CNN’s podcast ‘Tug of War: Attack on Israel’...

The Israel Defense Forces announced this evening that it is expanding its ground operations against Hamas in Gaza. Gaza residents tell CNN that these are the most intense air strikes they have experienced since the war began 20 days ago. There are reports of widespread power, cellular, and internet outages across the Gaza Strip. It is still unclear what these ramped up attacks will mean for hostag...

Our correspondents are on the ground in Lewiston, Maine where a manhunt is underway for a mass shooter. That CNN crew heard loud bangs near the last known address of the Maine mass shooting suspect. Also, Israel Defense Forces tanks raid Gaza as Israel prepares for “next stages of combat.” Plus, a Hamas delegation reportedly visited Moscow as Russian state media claims Hamas has discussed hostages...

A diplomatic spat between Israel and the United Nations has broken out, with Israeli officials calling for the resignation of Secretary General Antonio Guterres. This as the main UN agency working in Gaza said it will be forced to halt its operations later today due to a lack of fuel, exacerbating a grave humanitarian crisis. Plus, Rep. Mike Johnson secured the speaker's gavel without losing any G...

It has been 17 days since the horrific terrorist attacks by Hamas which caught Israel by surprise, setting off a cascade of responses and consequences that now includes a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The World Health Organization said that six hospitals have shut down due to a lack of power. A spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces says no fuel will enter Gaza because of concerns it will be stole...

Hamas has released two more of the hostages it kidnapped from Israel during the October 7th terrorist attack, according to multiple sources. Plus, the United Nations is calling the situation in Gaza hospitals “dire” as a low rate of humanitarian aid trucks have entered Gaza. Also, according to sources, intelligence shows Iranian-backed militias are ready to ramp up attacks against U.S. forces.  Fo...

Two U.S. citizens, Judith Tai Raanan and her 18-year-old daughter Natalie Raanan, who had been kidnapped by Hamas, have been released and are now back in Israel. Israel believes Hamas still has around 200 hostages and believes most of them are still alive. Plus, humanitarian aid that has been stuck in Egypt should reach Gaza within "24-48 hours," US President Joe Biden said Friday. Also, an airstr...

President Biden will address the nation from the Oval Office this evening for only the second time in his presidency. He is going to try to convince Americans why it is critical to provide tens of billions of dollars to support two allies in their two wars, Israel and Ukraine. Plus, our correspondents in the Middle East provide updates on the conflict, including the likeliness of the Rafah Crossin...

President Biden arrived in Israel hours after a devastating explosion in the courtyard of a Baptist hospital in Gaza. The president said earlier today that the deadly hospital tragedy in Gaza may have been caused by Palestinians. Biden also announced Israel agreed that humanitarian assistance can cross into Gaza from Egypt.  For daily information on the Israel-Gaza conflict, check out CNN’s podcas...

The Israel Defense Forces said the cause of a blast at a hospital in Gaza which has likely killed hundreds of people was a Palestinian Islamic Jihad group. However, Palestinian officials blamed ongoing Israeli airstrikes for the lethal incident. The blast resulted in Jordan cancelling a planned summit between President Biden and the leaders of Jordan, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority. Plus, Re...

New warnings emerge about the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Today, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken returned to Israel after meeting with multiple allies throughout the Middle East, trying to get a humanitarian corridor open for innocents to evacuate Gaza before Israel ramps up attacks on Hamas.  For daily information on the Israel-Gaza conflict, check out CNN’s podcast ‘T...

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...