Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart was not happy with CNN on Monday’s edition of The Daily Show as the network continued to promote Jake Tapper’s book about the cover-up of President Joe Biden’s mental decline amid his cancer diagnosis. The fact that the two could be related was not something Stewart even considered as a possibility.
Introducing a video montage of CNN anchors, Stewart wondered, “But now doing the story seems almost disrespectful. Can CNN thread the needle? How do you pivot from excitedly promoting your anchor's book to somberly and respectfully promoting your anchor's book?”
After the clip package, Stewart mocked what he considered CNN’s insufficient empathy for the situation, “It's so hard, it's such a difficult time, so unfathomable in terms of the pain his family must be feeling. And yet, if you act now, and use the code 'Backslash tap that book,' you will—obviously, this 20 percent off, offer's not available in for some reason in Tennessee.”
Stewart then briefly made one valid point, “Forgetting about the fact how [bleep] weird it is that the news is selling you a book about news they should've told you was news a year ago for free!”
However, he then veered off course again, “It's just fun to watch them not only continue to push the book in light of this difficult news, but to actually frame this difficult news as perhaps even more of a reason to buy this book.”
In another clip, CNN chief media correspondent Brian Stelter declared, “The timing of former president Joe Biden's cancer diagnosis is certainly dramatic, coming on the eve of a blockbuster new book about his health and his time in the White House.”
After Stewart interrupted, urging Stelter to “go on,” the clip resumed, “I'm sure some observers will say that the reporting in the book is even more important now.”
Stewart mocked the idea, “Yeah, nobody is saying that. No observers will say it is more important now. Some observers might think, ‘Do these CNN people work on commission? Like, why are they hawking this [bleep] thing so hard?’ Is this a Girl Scout cookie situation? "Whoever sells the most Tapper books gets a Schwinn?"
In words probably never written before on NewsBusters, Stelter is right. Medical experts have said that the type of cancer Biden has does not just suddenly appear, so further questioning is needed of all those involved.
And in other late night-Jake Tapper news, Tapper was scheduled to be on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Monday, but the entire show without providing a reason, although some industry reporters have guessed it might have to do with Kimmel’s daughter being due to give birth.
Here is a transcript for the May 19 show:
Comedy Central The Daily Show
5/19/2025
11:06 PM ET
JON STEWART: But now doing the story seems almost disrespectful. Can CNN thread the needle? How do you pivot from excitedly promoting your anchor's book to somberly and respectfully promoting your anchor's book?
RACHEL SOLOMON: Biden's health was very much in the news even before the cancer diagnosis was announced on Sunday. That's because of a new book by CNN's Jake Tapper.
DANA BASH: This was already going to be a tough week and this makes it much harder. And that is a reference to the fact that our colleague, Jake Tapper, and Alex Thompson have a book that's set to publish on Tuesday.
JESSICA DEAN: This very tough news, this very challenging news. And at the same time, the backdrop of [jump cut] our colleague Jake Tapper's book with Alex Thompson coming out this week.
STEWART: It's so hard, it's such a difficult time, so unfathomable in terms of the pain his family must be feeling. And yet, if you act now, and use the code "Backslash tap that book," you will—obviously, this 20 percent off, offer’s not available in for some reason in Tennessee, but the point is—
Forgetting about the fact how [bleep] weird it is that the news is selling you a book about news they should've told you was news a year ago for free!
It's just fun to watch them not only continue to push the book in light of this difficult news, but to actually frame this difficult news as perhaps even more of a reason to buy this book.
BRIAN STELTER: The timing of former president Joe Biden's cancer diagnosis is certainly dramatic, coming on the eve of a blockbuster new book about his health and his time in the White House.
STEWART: Go on.
STELTER: I'm sure some observers will say that the reporting in the book is even more important now.
STEWART: Yeah, nobody is saying that. No observers will say it is more important now. Some observers might think, "Do these CNN people work on commission? Like, why are they hawking this [bleep] thing so hard?" Is this a Girl Scout cookie situation? "Whoever sells the most Tapper books gets a Schwinn?"
