Accusations FLY After CNN Commentator SLAMMED For 'Journalistic Corruption!'

The accusations stem from Stelter's promotion of an upcoming book by CNN anchor Jake Tapper, which delves into the decline of former President Joe Biden.

Halperin's criticism of Stelter was aired on his show, "Next Up with Mark Halperin." He took issue with Stelter's recent newsletters, which not only promoted Tapper's book, "Original Sin," but also defended Tapper against conservative accusations of being complicit in a cover-up. Stelter's newsletters also emphasized the authors' dedication to fact-checking. According to Halperin, Stelter's actions are a stark deviation from his role as a media reporter, which should be to "hold the media accountable."

May 17, 2025

Halperin stated, "Youve got at CNN this guy Brian Stelter, whos their media reporter, whos an ally of Jake Tapper, to protect Tappers image, to enhance Tappers image." He continued, "Hes got a media newsletter. Hes supposed to cover the media. Guy doesnt write about the biggest failure in the history of American media. Instead, he writes about how great Tappers book is."

As reported by the Daily Caller, Halperin further criticized Stelter for his newsletter content, stating, "And today in his newsletter guys a fan of irony he writes about how it was so important for Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson to have the truth in their book, the full truth, that they hired the head of the New Yorkers fact-checking department to fact-check their book." Halperin argued that the role of a media reporter should not be to protect and promote a colleague, a role he believes Stelter is playing.

Halperin also pointed out Stelter's history of dismissing concerns about Biden's decline. He said, "In addition to promoting and protecting Jake Tapper, Brian Stelter has been, over the course of the entire Biden presidency, one of the biggest critics of those on the right and those few people like me in the independent media who have tried to hold Joe Biden accountable."

Halperin accused Stelter of failing to hold not only his own network but every news organization in the country accountable, suggesting they participated in a cover-up to help Biden win. He said, "And instead of pointing out the flaws in the book, he writes favorable he cites the favorable reviews the book has gotten from news organizations like The Washington Post and The New York Times, who participated in the cover-up and whose failure was manifest."

Halperin also criticized Stelter's promotion of the book on social media, where he shared a section of his newsletter on the book's fact-checking process and a review of the book by The New York Times. Halperin described this as "nothing short of journalistic corruption."

Stelter's post on Twitter read, "NYT book review: @jaketapper and @AlexThomp 's Original Sin is a damning, step-by-step account of how the people closest to a stubborn, aging president enabled his quixotic resolve to run for a second term."

Halperin also took issue with the notion that Tapper was among the journalists who investigated Biden's cognitive decline prior to his disastrous June debate. Stelter has yet to respond to these allegations.