Jake Tapper Rips Democrats for ‘Smear Campaign’ Against ‘Heroic’ WSJ Reporters: ‘Disgraceful’

TAPPER Two of the ░░░░░░░░ reporters were covering this ░░░░░░░░ during the Biden years ░░░░░░░░ Linskey and Siobhan Hughes ░░░░░░░░ were with their they ░░░░░░░░ with The Wall Street ░░░░░░░░ They reported on the ░░░░░░░░ of Biden s mental ░░░░░░░░ back in June of ░░░░░░░░ year The piece then ░░░░░░░░ closed doors Biden shows ░░░░░░░░ of slipping Participants in ░░░░░░░░ said the 81 year ░░░░░░░░ President performed poorly at ░░░░░░░░ the White House said ░░░░░░░░ is sharp and his ░░░░░░░░ are playing partisan politics ░░░░░░░░ is not the first ░░░░░░░░ you guys have been ░░░░░░░░ I said it last ░░░░░░░░ before the election and ░░░░░░░░ ll say it again ░░░░░░░░ journalism you did was ░░░░░░░░ and the smear campaign ░░░░░░░░ Democrats against you two ░░░░░░░░ disgraceful So thanks for ░░░░░░░░ here So what you ░░░░░░░░ was before the debate ░░░░░░░░ the disaster and before ░░░░░░░░ book and the leaks ░░░░░░░░ like of the of ░░░░░░░░ book And obviously we ░░░░░░░░ and you probably found ░░░░░░░░ too because I know ░░░░░░░░ ve done subsequent reporting ░░░░░░░░ the election People are ░░░░░░░░ willing to talk after ░░░░░░░░ election after the stakes ░░░░░░░░ gone Do you feel ░░░░░░░░ How do you feel ░░░░░░░░ Yeah I mean I ░░░░░░░░ I do feel that ░░░░░░░░ reporting has been vindicated ░░░░░░░░ know particularly after that ░░░░░░░░ story came out and ░░░░░░░░ was such blowback by ░░░░░░░░ And really 10 minutes ░░░░░░░░ that debate I know ░░░░░░░░ my phone was blowing ░░░░░░░░ with some people apologizing ░░░░░░░░ their criticism of us ░░░░░░░░ you know from there ░░░░░░░░ were off and running ░░░░░░░░ so there is a ░░░░░░░░ but it was just ░░░░░░░░ gut wrenching reporting And ░░░░░░░░ was a difficult it ░░░░░░░░ a difficult period but ░░░░░░░░ important one and I ░░░░░░░░ glad we did it ░░░░░░░░ One of the things ░░░░░░░░ when we re reporting ░░░░░░░░ book me and Alex ░░░░░░░░ you guys are in ░░░░░░░░ and you re heroic ░░░░░░░░ t worry you re ░░░░░░░░ positively first of all ░░░░░░░░ communications director of the ░░░░░░░░ House was saying this ░░░░░░░░ a hit piece assigned ░░░░░░░░ Rupert Murdoch Completely untrue ░░░░░░░░ even remotely true But ░░░░░░░░ that two of the ░░░░░░░░ senators who on the ░░░░░░░░ attacked your reporting were ░░░░░░░░ the meeting the Senate ░░░░░░░░ that the senators had ░░░░░░░░ the campaign leadership really ░░░░░░░░ quite skeptical of Joe ░░░░░░░░ after the debate What ░░░░░░░░ you make of that ░░░░░░░░ I mean I m ░░░░░░░░ kind of processing exactly ░░░░░░░░ happened there but I ░░░░░░░░ they were clearly under ░░░░░░░░ pressure to back the ░░░░░░░░ Party And it was ░░░░░░░░ much pressure that you ░░░░░░░░ they were willing to ░░░░░░░░ with me in ways ░░░░░░░░ were probably not so ░░░░░░░░ TAPPER Yeah One of ░░░░░░░░ things so obviously we ░░░░░░░░ getting a lot of ░░░░░░░░ from the left and ░░░░░░░░ right on this book ░░░░░░░░ happens One of the ░░░░░░░░ people on the left ░░░░░░░░ saying is Where s ░░░░░░░░ cover up Where s ░░░░░░░░ cover up What do ░░░░░░░░ think I don t ░░░░░░░░ you guys use that ░░░░░░░░ We do and I ░░░░░░░░ happy to explain why ░░░░░░░░ did But what do ░░░░░░░░ think LINSKEY Sure Yeah ░░░░░░░░ Look I mean it ░░░░░░░░ very clear that people ░░░░░░░░ were close to the ░░░░░░░░ were aware of his ░░░░░░░░ and they did they ░░░░░░░░ all sorts of steps ░░░░░░░░ prevent those shortcomings from ░░░░░░░░ widely viewed by the ░░░░░░░░ people And you can ░░░░░░░░ that spin There s ░░░░░░░░ number of words that ░░░░░░░░ can use to describe ░░░░░░░░ that is You know ░░░░░░░░ our reporting we just ░░░░░░░░ to show that you ░░░░░░░░ the president was being ░░░░░░░░ not doing press conferences ░░░░░░░░ you know and we ░░░░░░░░ some similar reporting that ░░░░░░░░ was not interacting very ░░░░░░░░ with key cabinet secretaries ░░░░░░░░ us including Janet Yellen ░░░░░░░░ is Secretary of Treasury ░░░░░░░░ a time when there ░░░░░░░░ an inflation So we ░░░░░░░░ really you know we ░░░░░░░░ tried to describe you ░░░░░░░░ what we saw but ░░░░░░░░ didn t give it ░░░░░░░░ label you know TAPPER ░░░░░░░░ And Siobhan slowly but ░░░░░░░░ Democratic people especially ones ░░░░░░░░ want to be president ░░░░░░░░ 2028 are starting to ░░░░░░░░ things not as much ░░░░░░░░ the three of us ░░░░░░░░ say despite the fact ░░░░░░░░ it doesn t help ░░░░░░░░ in terms of reading ░░░░░░░░ mentions but Pete Buttigieg ░░░░░░░░ asked by I think ░░░░░░░░ Wren of Politico would ░░░░░░░░ be better off if ░░░░░░░░ had not run And ░░░░░░░░ said maybe Earlier today ░░░░░░░░ to Politico Senator Chris ░░░░░░░░ was asked if Biden ░░░░░░░░ cognitive decline as president ░░░░░░░░ Chris Murphy said There ░░░░░░░░ no doubt about it ░░░░░░░░ debate is whether it ░░░░░░░░ enough that it compromised ░░░░░░░░ ability to act as ░░░░░░░░ executive How far do ░░░░░░░░ think a Democrat to ░░░░░░░░ the nomination is going ░░░░░░░░ be able to go ░░░░░░░░ earn the respect of ░░░░░░░░ who saw what the ░░░░░░░░ of us are acknowledge ░░░░░░░░ obviously this happened versus ░░░░░░░░ the Democratic faithful who ░░░░░░░░ up our mentions HUGHES ░░░░░░░░ mean Democrats have always ░░░░░░░░ concerned about alienating their ░░░░░░░░ on this front But ░░░░░░░░ problem for them is ░░░░░░░░ they are not willing ░░░░░░░░ level with the American ░░░░░░░░ about a very basic ░░░░░░░░ of what happened It ░░░░░░░░ going to be very ░░░░░░░░ for them to have ░░░░░░░░ on other fronts including ░░░░░░░░ the independents they know ░░░░░░░░ need if they re ░░░░░░░░ to win.”