CNN's Jake Tapper fires back with receipts after network accused of not covering Mitch McConnell story

Connor McCrorySun, July 12, 2026 at 3:34 AM UTC

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Jake Tapper fired back at claims CNN ignored Mitch McConnell's hospitalization -Credit:CNN

CNN anchor Jake Tapper publicly hit back at accusations Friday that he and his network have avoided covering Sen. Mitch McConnell's hospitalization.

The pushback came after attorney and commentator Kaivan Shroff posted on X that Tapper had gone silent on the Kentucky Republican's health, a jab that also hit out at Tapper's book on former President Joe Biden's age.

"Wow. Not a single tweet (or retweet) from @jaketapper about Mitch McConnell in the past 24 hours," Shroff wrote in a post that drew more than 133,000 views. "The hypocrisy is astounding. Meanwhile an entire book pretending that Biden being old was some crazy scandal. Zero credibility." The news follows Scott Jennings getting thrown under the bus over Mitch McConnell comments.

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Tapper quickly clapped back on X, writing, "We've done several segments on it this week on tv, calling for transparency and more," he wrote. "We don't post every segment from our 2-hour show online. You can see transcripts of our show at cnn.com/transcripts."

The anchor also replied to a July 8 post from Jesse Arm, who appeared on Tapper's program alongside Meghan Hays to discuss the senator's condition.

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"We can appreciate Mitch McConnell's long and storied record of public service while also arguing for transparency and acknowledging that America should avoid further descending into gerontocracy," Arm wrote.

Scott Jennings is a longtime friend of McConnell's -Credit:CNN

McConnell, 84, was hospitalized June 14, his office said.

In a 911 recording, a dispatcher described a report of an unconscious person in cardiac arrest, and a medic said CPR was in progress. McConnell is not named in the audio. Footage released Friday showed the senator being loaded into an ambulance outside his home.

Amid the uncertainty, CNN commentator Scott Jennings, a longtime McConnell ally, said this week he had spoken with the senator by phone about Senate history, Iran and Ukraine.

Appearing Thursday on CNN's The Lead with Jake Tapper, Jennings said conversations with senior staff suggested McConnell was "preparing at some point to go back to work."

McConnell was hospitalized on June 14 -Credit:Getty

"Now, whether that means go back to work soon or go back to work eventually, I don't know," Jennings said. "But I do know he was meeting with his staff today and getting some briefings on a few issues."

CNN, in a statement to The Daily Beast, distanced itself from the claims, "As a CNN Political Commentator, Scott Jennings is not a full-time employee or journalist for the network. His account of a personal conversation with Senator McConnell reflects his experience and is not CNN reporting."

A spokesperson for McConnell's office said the senator "appreciates the outpouring of support he's receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital."

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Source: “AOL Breaking”