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By Jesus Mesa
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CNN anchor Jake Tapper recently pointed to a joke made by a left-leaning podcast host about his teenage son wanting to become a police officer—not as a laugh line, but as a telling sign of why Democrats are losing voters.
Speaking on The Prof G Pod with NYU professor Scott Galloway, Tapper recounted the incident—without naming the podcast—and argued that the dismissive reaction to his son's interest in law enforcement highlights a broader disconnect between the Democratic Party and young male voters.
"Their joke was about my 15-year-old son, 'Oh, how does he feel about minorities?' Like the idea that he wants to be a policeman, therefore he's, he's racist, my son. And like, you know, that was the big laugh. And then I got dragged in the comments and all that stuff and, and I thought to myself, 'This is why you fuckers are losing elections,'" Tapper said.
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The Context
Though Tapper didn't name the podcast, the exchange occurred during an April appearance on the popular show How Long Gone, which calls itself a "bicoastal elite podcast" hosted by friends Chris Black and Jason Stewart. The show mostly discusses fashion, trends, music and pop culture.
While discussing the crisis of masculinity and the Democratic Party's struggle to connect with young men on the show, Tapper mentioned that his son admires the police and the military. In response, Stewart quipped, "How does he feel about minorities?" Tapper replied dryly, "He's pro," prompting laughter from the hosts.
What To Know
Tapper, who is currently on a media tour promoting his book Original Sin, emphasized the broader implications of the joke. He argued that it reflected a pervasive attitude among some progressives that alienates young men from the Democratic Party.
"He's 15. He thinks about World War II and gaming and playing linebacker, that's his world," Tapper said, referring to his son. "You're deciding he's a racist because he wants to be a cop. And why does he want to be a cop? He wants to help people."
"One hundred percent," Galloway agreed.
Tapper's comments also highlight ongoing tensions within the Democratic Party regarding its messaging to male voters, particularly young men. He criticized the party's inability to communicate effectively with demographics like his son's, noting the party's use of terms like "toxic masculinity" as further alienating.
"The Democratic Party has no way of communicating with him. They have no entrée into his world," Tapper said.
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Responding to Tapper's rebuke, How Long Gone's hosts defended their comment and criticized the CNN anchor for what they described as an intentional misinterpretation.
"Him willfully choosing to take a joke wrong, that he definitely knew what it was in the moment, I would say is only a pro move," Black said on a recent episode of their show. "He spun it for his own gain, and it's working."
Stewart also reiterated that the joke was not meant to be malicious and credited Tapper with handling the moment in a lighthearted way during the recording. "I'm sure your son is a great person," Stewart said. "I don't think that he's a racist radical... I think you've raised him to be a good young man."
Despite the jest, the hosts acknowledged that Tapper's backlash had led to increased listenership to their show. "We were not mad," Black said. "It only brought more attention to the podcast and helped him sell books."
What People Are Saying
How Long Gone co-host Jason Stewart said of Tapper: "It's not the first time he's flip-flopped or reversed his position—and he does it successfully because he's a pro and has been doing it for a long time."
Tapper, speaking on The Prof G Pod, said: "I think one of the big errors of the Democratic Party is not figuring out a way to speak to people through podcasts. The average age of a podcast listener is 34. A 70-year-old woman watching MSNBC—she already knows who she's voting for."
What Happens Next
Recent AtlasIntel polling shows President Donald Trump's approval rating among 18–29-year-olds has climbed to 53 percent, marking a substantial improvement since his January inauguration. This demographic transformation challenges long-held Democratic assumptions about younger generations forming an "ascendant majority" that would secure their electoral future.
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