Jake Tapper Ratings Slump Amid Book Release

Jake Tapper's CNN show 'The Lead with Jake Tapper' recorded its lowest ratings since 2015, averaging 525,000 viewers from April 28 to May 25—a 25% year-over-year drop—amid the release of his and Alex Thompson's book 'Original Sin,' which critiques President Biden's mental fitness. Fox News dominated the same time slot with 68% of the cable news audience, while Tapper captured just 11%, and MSNBC also outperformed him. The ratings decline coincided with CNN's second-worst month ever among the 25-54 age demographic, vital for advertisers. Despite Fox News commentators linking the slump to Tapper's book promotion, 'Original Sin' debuted at number one on the New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction Bestseller List. CNN downplayed the domestic ratings, emphasizing Tapper's international viewership and the limitations of Nielsen metrics. Media analysts attribute the slump partly to a broader trend of audiences moving away from traditional TV news towards digital and decentralized platforms.