CNN anchor Jake Tapper has acknowledged publicly for the first time that Hunter Biden played a significant behind-the-scenes role during his father’s presidency, and described the president’s son as “sleazy” and “unethical” in a recent interview.

Tapper also admitted that President Joe Biden showed signs of cognitive decline while in office — a reversal from his previously stated position during the administration.

Tapper’s comments came during a sit-down interview on the podcast Next Question With Katie Couric, where he discussed revelations featured in his newly released book.

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The comments have sparked renewed discussion over the media’s portrayal of the Biden-Harris administration during the president’s term.

“Hunter functioned similarly to a chief of staff for the Biden family,” Tapper told Couric.

“This is strange, given his history of moral failings and poor choices. It’s bizarre because I think he is provably, demonstrably, unethical, sleazy and prone to horrible decisions.”

Tapper continued by recounting details from Hunter Biden’s personal life that had long been public but often dismissed or downplayed by mainstream outlets.

“Just look at the record: after his brother (Beau Biden) died, he cheated on his wife with his brother’s widow and then got her addicted to crack. That’s just one thing I could say. I don’t have a lot of personal regard for him. I barely have ever met him. I’ve met him like once or twice.”

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“I knew Beau. He was a great, upstanding guy. A real loss, for the country too — not just for his family, for the country,” Tapper said.

“But Hunter is not that, and the idea of letting him drive the family car, as it were, is just really, really questionable.”

WATCH: CNN’s Jake Tapper says Hunter Biden “was driving the decision-making for the family.”

“He was almost like a chief of staff.” 👀 pic.twitter.com/hZVP9ACt73

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) May 20, 2025

The remarks stand in stark contrast to Tapper’s earlier commentary during Joe Biden’s time in office, where he frequently dismissed concerns about Biden’s mental fitness and pushed back on criticisms of the president’s son.

Tapper previously clashed with Lara Trump during a televised exchange in which she raised concerns about Biden’s cognitive ability.

Tapper later apologized to Trump for that confrontation, according to a separate interview with Megyn Kelly.

Kelly confronted Tapper about his past remarks in a recent sit-down, questioning why he appeared to acknowledge Biden’s decline only after the administration had ended.

Tapper offered little in response aside from confirming he had issued an apology to Lara Trump.

Megyn Kelly ended Jake Tapper’s career today. Total bloodbath.

She left him rambling, speechless, and admitting he helped cover up Biden’s decline.

He had years to press Biden and didn’t. Now he’s exposed… and finished.

Watch: pic.twitter.com/JCGFi5iVyI

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) May 21, 2025

The CNN anchor’s revelations have reignited broader debate over the role of legacy media in shielding public figures from scrutiny during their time in power.

While stories concerning Hunter Biden’s business dealings and personal behavior were widely reported in conservative media outlets throughout Biden’s presidency, many of those reports were downplayed, ignored, or labeled as misinformation by major networks and social media platforms.

Tapper’s admission that Hunter had a central role in the Biden family’s internal operations — despite his well-documented history of drug abuse, controversial foreign business dealings, and personal misconduct — adds weight to long-held concerns raised by Republican lawmakers and media critics.

The discussion comes at a time when President Biden’s post-presidency health and public disclosures have drawn renewed scrutiny.

His recent stage four prostate cancer diagnosis has sparked further questions about what was known and undisclosed during his time in office.

As Tapper’s comments continue to circulate, they underscore an emerging shift in how some media figures are reassessing their own coverage of the Biden-Harris administration — after the fact.

Whether these retrospective acknowledgments will translate into more critical reporting on current figures remains to be seen.

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