Jake Tapper Suffers Another Blow! CNN Host Caught Whining to Producers After Getting Booted From Prime Time During 'Humiliating' Hot Mic Moment – 'He's Lucky to Still Have a Job'
Jake Tapper faced humiliation in a hot mic moment after losing his CNN prime time spot, sparking backlash.
Sept. 12 2025, Published 6:30 a.m. ET
Blowhard Jake Tapper is in the firing line after a humiliating hot mic moment when the cantankerous CNN talking head berated his own producers for cutting away from his on-location live shot to the studio, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
In the embarrassing incident, Tapper, 56, was broadcasting live from President Donald Trump's Aug. 15 summit in Alaska with Russian despot Vladimir Putin.
When producers cut away from his live coverage in Anchorage, he fumed to his studio colleagues, "just give me my show back," a snarky remark that accidentally made it on air.
'So Unprofessional'
According to a network insider, Jake Tapper's hot mic remark came after losing his CNN prime time slot in 2022.
"Tapper's outburst was so unprofessional – but extremely telling," confided one network insider. "He's been PO'd since getting booted from prime time after the 2022 midterm elections and denied a raise last year."
The Lead with Jake Tapper now airs weekdays from 5 to 7 p.m. ET.
"To be honest, he's lucky to still have a job and he knows it," the source added. "The stress of being so exposed, career-wise, is probably getting him hot."
Jake's Scandals
Tapper was accused of a cash grab after coauthoring 'Original Sin' about Joe Biden.
The hot mic moment isn't Jake's only recent scandal.
The notorious bloviator also took major heat earlier this year for coauthoring a lucrative, best-selling book, Original Sin, about the alleged White House cover-up of former President Joe Biden's infirmities after cheerleading for the former commander in chief while he was in office.
Tapper was accused of a cold-blooded cash grab, though a CNN spokesperson insisted the exposé only came together after the election.
Jake's Sweating Bullets
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CNN insiders said Mark Thompson is reviewing costs as Tapper's standing at the network weakens.
Now, sources said his on-air gripes are not helping the marginalized mouthpiece maintain his already shaky standing at the ratings-challenged network.
"Jake is sweating bullets, and this latest incident does nothing to help him," said the source. "Mark [Thompson] is looking for reasons to cut costs and Jake just gave him one."
