Jake Tapper Blasts Democrats for Alienating Young Men Over Son’s Police Officer Dream

CNN host Jake Tapper didn’t hold back last week, tearing into the Democratic Party for its failure to connect with young men, using a personal anecdote to drive the point home. After two liberal podcast hosts mocked his 15-year-old son’s dream of becoming a police officer, Tapper called out their dismissive attitude as a prime example of why Democrats are losing ground. “This is why you’re losing elections,” he said, frustration evident.

The incident unfolded when Tapper, appearing on NYU Professor Scott Galloway’s podcast, recounted how hosts of another show scoffed at his son’s ambitions. “He wants to be a policeman, and their joke was, ‘Oh, how does he feel about minorities?’” Tapper shared. The assumption that his son, a football-playing teen who dreams of serving his community, is inherently prejudiced reflects a broader disconnect, he argued. “My son thinks about World War II, gaming, and playing linebacker—not politics,” Tapper emphasized, highlighting the unfair stereotyping.

Tapper’s critique comes as no surprise given the 2024 election results, where President Donald Trump made significant inroads with young voters, including Black, Hispanic, and young male demographics. The Democratic Party’s struggle to engage these groups was laid bare, with Tapper pointing out their failure to speak to men like his son, who simply wants to help people through law enforcement. “They have no entrée into his world,” he said, slamming the party’s reliance on superficial gestures like promoting figures such as Tim Walz for his hunting and beer-drinking image.

The podcast in question, “How Long Gone,” hosted by Chris Black and Jason Stewart, saw the hosts double down, calling Tapper a “flip-flopper” and defending their jab as a “really funny joke.” But Tapper’s point stands: dismissive humor and assumptions about young men’s aspirations are alienating a key demographic, and Democrats are paying the price at the polls.