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Jon Stewart is slamming CNN for continuing to promote a tell-all book about former President Joe Biden’s health after he announced a prostate cancer diagnosis.
The book “The Original Sin,” out May 20, was co-written by Axios correspondent Alex Thompson and CNN’s Jake Tapper, but Stewart jokingly questioned their journalistic integrity during the May 19 episode of “The Daily Show.”
The “Daily Show” segment began with clips of Tapper repeatedly promoting his book on CNN, telling viewers they “will not believe” what the coauthors “found out” during his reporting.
“Don’t news people have to tell you what they know when they find it out?” Stewart asked. “Isn’t that the difference between news and a secret? ‘You won’t believe what we found out.’ No, that’s why I’m watching you.”
A Biden spokesperson announced May 18 that the former president, 82, has an “aggressive form” of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones. He was diagnosed days earlier on May 16 after “experiencing urinary symptoms,” and a “nodule” was discovered on his prostate, according to the statement.
On May 19, Biden’s official account posted a picture with former first lady Jill Biden and a cat with the caption, “Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places.”
Jon Stewart mocks CNN’s promotion of Biden tell-all ‘The Original Sin’
During the “Daily Show” segment, Stewart pointed out how other news outlets have used terms like “massive tsunami,” “bombshell allegations,” “damaging new details” and “damning claims” during their coverage of “The Original Sin.”
Stewart mocked the book’s premise, quipping that “nothing could slow down this coming, feeding news frenzy about Biden’s cognitive health, other than maybe a report on his actual physical health, which was not good.”
Stewart said that Thompson and Tapper created a “smorgasbord based on what you thought would be a relatively uncomplicated story about mental decline.” He added that “now, doing the story seems almost disrespectful” after Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis.
“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?” Stewart said. The comedian poked fun at CNN’s coverage of the former president’s health scare using a clip of Tapper’s “State of the Union” co-anchor Dana Bash discussing the diagnosis.
“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 be published on Tuesday,” Bash said in a clip.
Another clip showed “CNN News Central” anchor Kate Bolduan saying, “This very tough news, this very challenging news and at the same time, the backdrop of our colleague Jake Tapper’s book with Alex Thompson coming out this week.”
After playing the clips of CNN anchors, Stewart jokingly said: “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, you use the code ‘backslash tap that book.’
“Forgetting about the fact how … weird it is that the news is selling you a book about news they should have told you about a year ago for free,” Stewart said.
Contributing: Zac Anderson
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