Democrats to volunteers: 'Don't bother Jake Tapper.' But the CNN host has other ideas.
Everyone laughed.
One woman, however, persisted.
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“What about Jake Tapper? We have to get directions to where Jake Tapper is!" she said of the longtime CNN journalist with a decidedly half-joking tone.
“Don’t bother Jake Tapper," Tom deadpanned.
Press logistics volunteers for the Democratic National Convention receive pre-convention instructions during a tour of the Chicago Bulls' basketball training facility, which is doubling as a media filing center. The Democratic National Convention takes place from Aug. 19, 2024, through Aug. 22, 2024, at the adjacent United Center in Chicago. (Dave Levinthal / Raw Story)
But Tapper, who hosts weekday program "The Lead with Jake Tapper" and co-hosts Sunday public affairs show "State of the Union," indicated he won't be reporting from Chicago from some ivory television tower.
“Always happy to say hi to convention volunteers!" Tapper told Raw Story on Sunday. "We’re nothing without our viewers."
Tapper, already a nationally known media figure, has played an outsized role during the 2024 presidential election.
In June, Tapper and CNN colleague Dana Bash co-moderated the presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, which proved to be one of the most consequential in modern political history.
Biden's disastrous performance led to the president's withdrawal from the race and Vice President Kamala Harris' ascendance to the top of the ticket.
As for Tom, a young man in a black polo shirt, he politely declined comment and directed Raw Story's questions about the Democratic National Committee's volunteer protocols to the convention press office, which did not immediately respond on Sunday.
Close-up of Trump sign at Trump International Hotel and Tower in downtown Chicago (Photo by Dave Levinthal/Raw Story)
An ad from the conservative Epoch Times newspaper organization, advertising its website to motorists driving toward downtown Chicago from O’Hare International Airport. (Photo by Dave Levinthal/Raw Story)
One of several billboards from Illinois Democrats that says "Protect Women's Rights." This particular billboard is sponsored by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker's campaign committee. (Photo by Matt Laslo/Raw Story)
An ad featuring Shermann “Dilla” Thomas, a historian and popular TikTok creator, as part of the "The Future Is Built In Chicago,” campaign. (Alexandria Jacobson/Raw Story)
A billboard on Aug. 16, 2024, en route to downtown Chicago, sponsored by pro-abortion rights organization Women’s Declaration International USA. (Photo by Dave Levinthal/Raw Story)
An advertisement for C-SPAN’s coverage of the Democratic National Convention greets travelers at O’Hare International Airport on Aug. 16, 2024, in Chicago. (Photo by Dave Levinthal/Raw Story)
Fox News channel ad with the slogan, "America is watching ... are you?" (Photo by Matt Laslo/Raw Story)