ME TONIGHT IS AN EMMY AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST AND

AUTHOR WHO HOSTS THE LEAD AND STATE OF THE UNION ON CNN,

PLEASE WELCOME JAKE TAPPER.

HELLO, JAKE.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FROM THE NEWS CHAMBER.

THAT IS A VERY-- ARE YOU IN A MUSEUM EXHIBIT RIGHT NOW?

>> MY OFFICE IS DECORATED WITH THE POSTERS OF PEOPLE WHO RAN

FOR PRESIDENT AND LOST.

AND DID NOT WIN.

AND DID NOT WIN.

AND SO YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE THIS FELLOW, A MEMBER OF YOUR CHURCH.

>> Stephen: OF COURSE, AL SMITH OF DINNER FAME.

>> AND WHO ELSE DO WE HAVE.

>> Stephen: I SEE THE HILLRIES, I GOT THOSE.

>> YOU HAVE THE HILLRIES, JOHN ASHBROOK FOR PEOPLE WHO THOUGHT

RICHARD NIXON WAS TOO LIBERAL.

>> Stephen: GEORGE WALLACE.

DIXIE UP THERE.

>> THERE SAY BIG STROM THURMOND OVER THERE THAT IS A COLLECTORS

EDITION BUT I FELT SO GROSS PUTTING IT UP, I STUCK A STOKELY

CARMICHAEL ON IT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTOOD I'M NOT DOWN

WITH STROM.

>> Stephen: LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT THIS OFFICE, IS THIS YOUR

OFFICE AT CNN OR A HOME OFFICE.

>> NO, THIS IS MY-- MY WIFE WOULD NEVER LET ME HAVE THIS

STUFF AT HOME.

>> Stephen: HAVE YOU BEEN ALLOWED TO GO HOME THIS FALL?

BECAUSE I KNOW IT WAS A FIVE DAY PERIOD THAT ANY TIME I TURNED ON

THE TELEVISION YOU WERE AT THE DESK.

DID YOU-- DID YOU ACTUALLY LIKE SLEEP IN YOUR OFFICE OR

SOMETHING?

DID YOU GO HOME AT ALL FOR THOSE FIVE DAYS AND YOU HAVE

RECOVERED.

>> I DID GO HOME.

EVEN IF JUST LIKE GO HOME, EVERYBODY IS ASLEEP, WAKE UP

BEFORE EVERYBODY WAKES UP WHICH IS WEIRD, RIGHT, IT'S WEIRD.

>> Stephen: YEAH.

>> I AM STILL CATCHING UP WITH THE SLEEP.

I'M STILL CATCHING UP.

BUT I'M GOOD, I'M FAIRLY RECOVERED.

>> Stephen: DID YOU GUYS HAVE TO LOWER JOHN KING INTO LIKE AN

ICE BATH EVERY DAY, HE NEVER SEEN SAT DOWN, YOU HAD A CHAIR.

>> JOHN IS ACTUALLY AN ANDROID, AS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT BE

FAMILIAR.

>> Stephen: OH NO, ALL THE EVIDENCE IS THERE.

>> WE'VE CONSTRUCTED HIM.

I MEAN HOW DO YOU THINK HE WORKS THAT MACHINE SO WELL.

>> Stephen: NO EMOTION, ABSOLUTELY.

>> YES, HE FINDS IT FUN.

>> Stephen: THERE HAVE BEEN FOUR AREAS OF NO SLEEP THOUGH.

>> YES.

>> Stephen: I, I, I POINTED OUT THE OTHER DAY THAT SOMEONE

HAD PUT UP A VERY LOVELY PHOTO OF YOU.

AND I SAID IT WAS VERY NICE FOR SOMEONE TO PUT UP YOUR PROM

PHOTO IS WHEN CNN WON THE WEEK.

HE SAID YES, THOSE FOUR YEARS HAVE AGED US.

I WANT TO POINT OUT, THIS IS YOU, THIS IS YOU IN 2016.

BEFORE ALL THIS MISHUGA.

AND THIS IS YOU TODAY, THIS IS-- OKAY.

BY BEFORE YOU GET MAD AT ME FOR POINTING THIS OUT, THIS IS ME IN

2016, OKAY.

THIS IS ME TODAY, TWO ACTUAL PHOTOGRAPHS OF ME.

>> CAN I SAY.

>> Stephen: YEAH.

>> TO OUTGOING PRESIDENT TRUMP, CREDIT, HE LOOKS THE EXACT SAME.

HE LOOKS THE EXACT SAME.

HE IS THE ONLY PRESIDENT IN THE HISTORY OF THIS COUNTRY WHO HAS

NOT AGED A DAY.

IT'S JUST WE ALL AGED 30 YEARS.

>> Stephen: YES, WE'RE THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY T IS NOT

SUPPOSED TO WORK THAT WAY.

>> LIKE BARACK OBAMA, WHEN HE STARTED HE WAS YOUNG, HE WAS

LIKE A WILL SMITH, EIGHT YEARS LATER, MORGAN FREEMAN.

>> Stephen: YEAH, BUT VERY DISTINGUISHED.

>> IT HAPPENS.

>> Stephen: HAVE YOU READ HIS BOOK YET?

>> NO.

>> Stephen: 701, HOW MUCH?

700 AND PAGES, I LOVED IT, IT WAS GREAT.

>> IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A MEMOIR.

AND NOW IT'S AT LEAST GOING TO BE TWO VOLUMES.

MY GUESS IS IT WILL END UP BEING AT LEAST FIVE.

>> Stephen: IT IS LIKE HE IS HIS OWN ROBERT CARO.

NOW YOU, WE ARE STILL IN WEIRD LIMBO RIGHT NOW.

>> YEAH.

>> Stephen: WHERE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE GUY WHO IS LEAVING

IS GOING TO DO OR HOW HE'S GOING TO HANDLE THE PROSPECT OF

LEAVING.

WHAT IS THAT LIKE-- WHAT DOES THAT DO TO YOU JOURNALISTS WHO

ARE ACTUALLY HAVING TO REPORT ON WHAT'S HAPPENING.

>> WE KNOW HOW IS HE GOING TO HANDLE IT IN ONE SENSE, WE KNOW

IT IS GOING TO BE POORLY.

HE'S NOT DEALING WITH DEFEAT WELL.

HE'S NOT ACCEPTED IT.

SO WHAT IS IT LIKE DEALING WITH IT, I MEAN I JUST THINK PART OF

IT IS JUST EXPLAINING TO PEOPLE HE LOST.

THAT IS THE REALITY.

THERE IS NO LEGAL PALT PATH, ALL OF THESE LAWSUITS WITH A COUPLE

OF EXCEPTIONS ARE RIDICULOUS.

THERE IS NO WAY HE IS GOING TO OVERTURN ENOUGH VOTES IN ENOUGH

STATES IT IS JUST NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

>> Stephen: DO YOU HAVE GUESTS THAT COME ON AND SAY WELL, WE'LL

SEE.

>> NO.

>> Stephen: YOU DON'T?

>> NO, I DON'T BOOKS TO GUESTS.

>> Stephen: NOT ANY MORE.

>> I STOPPED BOOKING JUST OUT AND OUT LIARS AWHILE AGO.

BUT I MEAN YEAH, NO, JOE BIDEN WILL BE SWORN IN ON JANUARY

20th, 2021.

PERIOD.

>> Stephen: WE'LL SEE.

WE'LL SEE.

>> NO, THERE IS NO WE'LL SEE.

>> Stephen: A LOT OF CURT CASES OUT THERE, JAKE.

>> I LOOKED THAT A BUNCH OF THEM, YOU KNOW.

>> Stephen: REALLY?

>> AND THEY'RE NONSENSE.

LIKE IT'S HONESTLY, IT'S LIKE-- BECAUSE THE STANDARD OF

EVIDENCE IN A COURT ROOM SAY LITTLE HIGHER THAN ON TWITTER.

>> Stephen: SURE.

>> SO AS DONALD TRUMP SAYS, WE DON'T HAVE ANY OBSERVERS IN THAT

PHILADELPHIA CONVENTION CENTER COUNTING ROOM.

AND THEN SOMEBODY TRIES TO PRESENT THAT, IN COURT.

AND THE JUDGE SAYS HOW MANY DO YOU HAVE.

HOW MANY OBSERVERS AND THE LAWYER SHEEPISHLY SAYS WE HAVE

A, THIS SAY QUOTE, THERE IS A NONZERO NUMBER.

A NONZERO NUMBER OF OBSERVERS.

>> Stephen: SO SOME.

>> YEAH.

>> Stephen: AND I BELIEVE THE JUDGE THEN SAID GET THE [BLEEP]

OUT.

>> RIGHT, RIGHT.

>> Stephen: BUT JAKE, I WANT TO HE ARE MIND YOU, I WANT TO

REMIND YOU THAT RUDY GIULIANI IS IN CHARGE NOW, RUDY IS IN THE

DRIVER'S SEAT NOW, ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN.

PHYSICAL LAWS OF THE UNIVERSE NO LONGER APPLY IF RUDY IS GOING TO

TAKE OVER THIS THING.

>> I THINK ANYBODY WHO WATCHED THE PRESS CONFERENCE AT FOUR

SEASONS TOTAL LANDSCAPING NORTH OF THE BRUJ RIGHT NEAR THE SEX

SHOP AND ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE CREMATORIUM WHERE HE

PRESENTED HIS EVIDENCE WHICH INCLUDED SOMEBODY FROM NEW

JERSEY WHO WAS A REGISTERED SEX O FIPPEDDER, I THINK ANYBODY WHO

SAW THAT WOULD THINK THIS IS THE CLARENCE DAR OWE OF OUR

TIME-- DARROW OF OUR TIME.

>> Stephen: WE HAVE TO TAKE A BREAK BUT WHEN WE COME BACK I

WILL ASK JAKE ABOUT HIS KFERTIONZ WITH ANTHONY FAUCI

ABOUT HOW THO LACK OF TRANSITION IS GOING TO SLOW DOWN COVID

PREPAREDNESS.

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.