‘He’s kowtowing to bosses’: CNN’s Jake Tapper accused of trying to ‘kiss-up’ to new CEO Chris Licht
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CNN’s Jake Tapper has been accused of “kowtowing at the new bosses” and deliberately steering his program to the right in an attempt to win over CEO Chris Licht.
Tapper, the network’s leading anchor in Washington, was rewarded Thursday by being named as Chris Cuomo’s replacement on the coveted 9:00 p.m. primetime slot.
Tapper’s new job starts on October 10 and lasts for a month, but insiders believe he will likely become the regular host.
Viewers and insiders noted that the 53-year-old had become decidedly more right-wing, which they said was meant to appeal to Licht β who said he wanted to make the network less left-wing and quirky.
“Tapper is trying to survive,” a media source said in conversation withβ¦ The New York Post. “He goes out of his way to his bosses.”
Another added: ‘He is very ambitious’, describing him as ‘very hardworking’ with a ‘healthy ego’.
Jake Tapper, CNN’s lead anchor in Washington, will take over the 9 p.m. slot from Chris Cuomo, who was forced off the network in December
Since he took over, Chris Licht (pictured), who ran Stephen Colbert’s Late Show for six years, has expressed a desire to move away from quirky coverage that was especially common during Donald Trump’s election campaign and subsequent presidency
Viewers agreed.
βNow we know why Jake sucked the new bosses. Quid pro quo,” one tweeted.
“Getting promoted for kissing the new right wing/Trumper overlords, huh, Jake?” said another.
One woman complained about the lack of “real emotion” of anchors.
“Since the new owner came in, the real ‘hard’ news hasn’t been there,” she said.
“The real emotion that they used to have is that they’re leaving and it’s trying to play a middle ground to get foxgloves. That way you don’t get an audience. That’s how you send them away.’
Another said they’d lost faith in Tapper after he tweeted a promotion of Jared Kushner’s new book β a move seen by many as a pitch for Licht and his team.
‘No thank you. I dropped CNN & Jake Tapper after his retweet promoting Jared Kushner’s book.β
Tapper is described by insiders as ambitious and hardworking
Ratings for the hour have suffered since Cuomo’s ouster in December, with the network unable to fill the slot long tied to the host.
Cuomo, pushed for advising his brother Andrew during his sexual harassment scandal, will start a new job as anchor for NewsNation in October.
His time slot has since been manned by a series of rotating hosts, but hasn’t amassed the numbers it did under 52-year-old Cuomo.
The shuffle comes days after CNN announced a “redesigned” morning show featuring progressive anchor Don Lemon.
“The world has come to rely on Jake’s no-nonsense approach to cover the news, especially during high-stakes election cycles,” Licht said in a statement announcing the uproar.
“This move will showcase its tough reporting, clever analysis and consistent interviews as our audience navigates the myriad of issues at stake during midterm exams.”
Light, who also replaced ousted boss Jeff Zucker last February, added that in addition to the 9 p.m. change, anchor Alisyn Camerota and legal analyst Laura Coates will share the 10 p.m. to midnight timeslot β a message that Lemon will leave. .
“By adding the insights, experience and strong voices of Alisyn and Laura, we will continue and expand that coverage, creating something complementary and immersive in primetime,” Licht said.
The shuffle comes days after CNN announced a “redesigned” morning show featuring famed progressive anchor Don Lemon β despite the new CEO’s repeated pledges to wean the network away from left-leaning commentary.
Though temporary, Tapper’s new job β held by fired Chris Cuomo (pictured) until he was screwed for helping brother Andrew through a sex scandal β could become permanent if Tapper draws viewers.
Since he took over, Light has expressed a desire to leave of idiosyncratic reporting that was especially common during Donald Trumpelection campaign and subsequent presidency.
Insiders have since said that the longtime television director β he ran Stephen Colbert’s Late Show for six years until it was announced he’d be replacing Zucker β wants to return to the station’s roots as a rock-solid news source.
So far, Licht’s tenure has seen a marked decline in partisan panels with outspoken anchors, such as former Trump aide Alyssa Farah.
However, the recent shake-up with Lemon β who has made no secret of his disgust for Trump β seems to contradict this effort.
CNN announced the change last week, revealing that Lemon will officially step down from his 10pm midnight block on October 7.
At that time, the network will launch its new morning show, which will be led by Lemon, as well as co-anchors Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins.