The Lead with Jake Tapper

Former President Trump has learned the start date for his criminal trial in New York for the Stormy Daniels hush money case and it will be right in the middle of the presidential primary season next year. Plus, a look at the charges facing a 19-year-old accused of driving a U-Haul into the security barrier at the White House. According to the Secret Service, inside the truck was duct tape, a backp...

President Biden and House Speaker McCarthy are meeting tonight to try and avoid a default as we examine what may be on and off the negotiating table. Plus, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) sets his sights on the White House after announcing his bid for the 2024 presidency. Also, according to sources, Donald Trump asked whether he could push back against Justice Department efforts to recover classified docu...

First: Your elected leaders have taken a pause to try to prevent economic catastrophe. What's seen as a major snag in debt negotiations puts everything at risk.  Plus: Joe Biden meets with G7 leaders in Japan where Ukraine leader Zelensky arrives with a big ask.  And: A new name enters the 2024 GOP presidential race, making the case why Donald Trump should not be the Republican nominee.  To learn...

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that tech giants can remain relatively unaccountable for what people post on their sites, not even if it’s a terrorist organization. Plus, Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) and her office never mentioned that she had swelling of the brain. What a sources tells CNN about the Senator's previously undisclosed health condition and what that means for the millions of citizens...

The National Archives plans to share with the special counsel 16 records showing Trump and advisers knew of the declassification process, undercutting Trump’s claim that the documents he took were automatically declassified. Plus, paparazzi follow Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in New York in a scene described as near catastrophic. Also, a vote on taking action against Republican Rep. George Santo...

President Biden just cancelled the second part of his overseas trip. Is this a sign that the debt ceiling negotiations are going poorly? Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) joins to answer if Republicans have specified where spending cuts would occur. Plus, he’s known for pushing Kremlin propaganda. But, now the head of the Wagner Group is claiming a U.S. citizen was killed in the battle for Bakhmut. Was he c...

After three years, Special Counsel John Durham finally released his report into whether the FBI had a legitimate reason to investigate Trump in 2016. Durham’s report concluded the FBI should never have launched a full investigation into connections between Donald Trump’s campaign and Russia. The report also states the FBI used different standards when weighing concerns about alleged election inter...

With border crossings at an all time high, the Biden administration warns times ahead will likely get even worse now that a key immigration policy has expired. Plus, a U.S. Marine veteran surrenders for manslaughter charges after holding a homeless man in a chokehold on a New York City subway. Also, Oklahoma’s governor is trying to defund the state’s PBS station, home to programs such as Sesame St...

The House voted to pass a sweeping GOP border security bill after Republican leaders worked to lock down votes and win over holdouts within their own party. The GOP border bill is expected not to pass in the Democratic-controlled Senate and White House. Plus, Trump’s 2024 campaign playbook seems to be a repeat of falsehoods and indecency from 2020. How not only Democrats but also Republicans are e...

There is just one day left until Title 42, the Trump-era pandemic policy, expires. Introduced by Trump and adopted by Biden, the policy allows border officials to expel nearly all migrants without giving them a chance to seek asylum. Then, Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) George Santos pleads not guilty to 13 federal charges, including fraud and money laundering. Also, Republicans flag what they call s...

A jury in New York has found Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll. The jury awarded the former magazine columnist nearly $5 million in damages to be paid by Mr. Trump. CNN’s Chief Legal Analyst Laura Coates joins to break down the unprecedented trial. Plus, Rep. George Santos has been charged by the Justice Department according to sources familiar with the m...

The gunman behind the Texas mall massacre had been removed from the U.S. military for mental health issues as we learn more about the gunman’s extremist background. Plus, just in time for summer travel, a new proposed rule would give you a refund if you’re bumped from your next flight. Also, Russian air strikes blanket Ukraine as the war-torn country prepares for a spring offensive. To learn more...

Rather interesting comments are revealed today from the former president of the United States as the world finally gets to see what Mr. Trump had to say about E. Jean Carroll’s rape allegations. Plus, the Russian mercenary Wagner Group says they will leave the war-torn city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. Also, the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily halts the execution date of Oklahoma death row inmate...

Four Proud Boys were convicted of seditious conspiracy for their roles in the January 6th insurrection making this the third time federal prosecutors have successfully gotten guilty verdict on these serious charges. Plus, a homeless man was held in a deadly chokehold by a stranger in New York subway car. Why this incident sparked a homicide investigation and important conversations about mental he...

At least one person is dead and at least four others were injured, three critically, after a shooting in Atlanta. All the victims were female, the police said. According to law enforcement, the shooting happened after a man, who was accompanied by his mother, became enraged during a visit to a Midtown medical facility and opened fire. The suspect, Deion Patterson, is still at large. Also, former s...

A border surge is expected as a key immigration policy is set to expire. Now, the Biden administration is deploying even more American troops to the U.S. Mexico border. CNN is on the ground there as some border towns declare state of emergency. Plus, some are warning of a recession and major job losses if Congress and the White House cannot strike a debt deal soon. Also, Jake speaks with artificia...

The man who was previously deported four times killed his neighbors execution style after they complained about noise from his Friday night gunfire. Now agents on the border are being told to be on alert as authorities admit they have no idea where he is. Plus, E. Jean Carroll is back on the stand under aggressive cross-examination from Trump’s attorneys. Also, the second largest bank collapse in...

Attempts to restrict abortions in two separate states were shut down. We speak with a group of women who pulled off a legislative maneuver to stop one ban from moving forward. Plus, a new wave of Russian attacks across Ukraine including an apartment building hit by a missile. Also, as more people turn to weight loss drugs, its taking a toll on household names in the weight loss industry. To learn...

The member of the Air National Guard who is accused of stealing and sharing classified documents appears in court and the government says he has a history of threatening to kill people. Plus, dozens of Americans are trapped in Sudan, begging the U.S. government to help get them out. Why do U.S. officials say they can’t help even though other countries are carrying out evacuations? Also, Brittney G...

A critical vote is possibly just minutes away as Speaker McCarthy pushes House Republicans to sign off on his debt limit plan. We speak with one GOP holdout about the offers. Plus, a parole board votes against sparing the life of a death row inmate in Oklahoma. Plus, Disney versus DeSantis as a new major lawsuit accuses the Florida governor of weaponizing his political power. To learn more about h...

Joe Biden has officially announced he is running for re-election after releasing a campaign video that’s a study in contrast as Republicans release their own video using AI. Plus, one state is trying to restrict hormone therapy and surgery for transgender minors and adults but the state's Republican secretary of state said this goes too far. Also, a look at the trail over whether Ed Sheeran’s sing...

As the violence erupts in Sudan, the U.S. and other nations evacuate their embassies. But, what about other Americans on the ground? Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) of the Foreign Affairs Committee joins to discuss Biden’s response in Sudan and the prospects of negotiating peace between Ukraine and Russia. Plus, a Kentucky sheriffs office explains why it hired the cop who killed Breonna Taylor. To l...

Republican state lawmakers are refusing to let a democratic state representative who is transgender speak after she made a passionate plea against a bill that would ban hormone treatments and surgery for transgender minors in Montana. That state lawmaker joins to discuss. Plus, an IRS agent tries to get whistleblower protection in the Hunter Biden probe, claiming to have information that contradic...

Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin is soon to be cleared of involuntary manslaughter charges after a gun on a movie set killed his colleague. But, is Baldwin legally cleared for good? Plus, a father and daughter are shot after the six-year-old’s basketball rolled into a neighbor’s yard. Also, the most powerful unmanned rocket ever created exploded mid air. Why Elon Musk’s SpaceX says it triggered the fi...

The U.S. Supreme Court pauses until Friday restrictions on access to an abortion pill which were put in place by a Texas judge. But, what might happen after this two day stay? Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) joins to provide her analysis and concerns. Plus, two cheerleaders were shot after they mistakenly opened the door to the wrong vehicle. Also, the CEO of Dominion Voting Systems joins to answer w...