Hunter Biden didn’t mince words when discussing his animosity toward CNN’s Jake Tapper during a recent appearance on podcaster Don Lemon’s show.
During the conversation, Lemon asked Hunter if he was friends with Tapper. “No. I knew Jake forever. I’ve known Jake for 25 years,” Hunter said.
He continued, “Look, here’s what I’d like to say about that is I think that Jake is a complete and utter a**hole.”
Hunter called Tapper “a really poor journalist” and said he is not “a very decent human being.” He went on to say the alleged journalist is “full of f******g s**t.”
And I don't know what you think of Jake, but I do know this is that what Jake espoused and has continued in the way that he has spoken about me, the way he has spoken about my mother, the way that he has spoken about my father, If the idea that I would tell you and be full of shit like everybody else usually is and say, well, you know, I'd like to respect Jake's long career in journalism and, you know, he's done good things before. You know what? I don't have to say that. I'm not running for anything.
After his tirade, Hunter looked directly at the camera and said, “Jake, I do not like you. I don't like you at all. And I have a whole host of reasons why.”
Lemon: How do you feel about Jake Tapper's book?
— Reggie B. (@reggiebblue) July 22, 2026
Hunter: Jake is a complete and utter asshole. He is a really poor journalist. I don't think he is a decent human being. As a person, I don't like Jake. I think he's full of fucking shit... I'm not running for anything. I'm not… pic.twitter.com/NZbwztm6Kp
It’s not quite clear what Hunter is referring to when he brought up Tapper’s comments about his mother and other issues. But the past does hold a clue as to why Hunter isn’t quite a fan of Tapper’s.
While Hunter’s brother, Beau Biden, was dying of brain cancer at Walter Reed in 2015, Tapper allegedly made repeated calls for comment on the matter. Hunter said in the past that he told the journalist to “go f**k yourself” and even confronted him at the Super Bowl in 2018, threatening to knock him out if they weren’t in public.
Tapper has denied ever calling Hunter and later criticized Hunter’s shady business dealings. In his book, Tapper portrayed Hunter as playing a key role in decisions regarding his father’s candidacy and handling of his health issues.
Tapper was one of few journalists who was willing to at least pretend to report critically on the Biden administration—although he was still more lenient on the administration than he’d ever be with the Trump White House.