Meet CNN anchor Jake Tapper's wife and two children – including his daughter who became a published author at 11

Since joining CNN in 2013, Jake Tapper has become one of the most well-known faces on TV. The celebrated journalist and CNN’s chief Washington correspondent continues to inform us with his award-winning show, The Lead with Jake Tapper, as well as being an acclaimed author and debate moderator.

So who is Jake Tapper when he’s not covering all the latest White House news? We’re taking a look at Jake’s loving family, from his wife of two decades, who has long been involved in advocacy work, to his two children who could be following in their father’s footsteps.

They met at a hotel bar

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It’s no surprise that Jake met his wife, who’s also involved with politics, during the Iowa caucuses in 2004. Then a reporter for Good Morning America, Jake noticed Jennifer, who was working for Planned Parenthood at the time, at a hotel bar – and the rest was history.

“I saw her and I walked up to her and we went out the next day in D.C. and that was it,” he told the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine in 2016. When asked if it was an “A-plus date”, Jake confessed, “It was for me. It was worth a second date for her is all I can say.”

Jennifer is a leading advocate and volunteer

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The couple have been married since 2006, and will celebrate their 20-year anniversary this year. Jake also revealed in 2016 that Jennifer was working for the organisation Upstream, which works to make birth control more accessible in the US.

Outside of her own work and accompanying Jake to numerous press events and red carpets, Jennifer also has a track record of volunteering in her Washington, D.C. community. Speaking to the Washingtonian in 2015, she revealed that she volunteered with AmeriCorps’ reading partners program, which helps young children learn to read.

“That time every week allows me to understand that people need each other, and the most important thing we can do every day is to be kind.”

His daughter is a published author

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Jake and Jennifer are parents to two children – daughter Alice Paul, aged 18 and son Jack, born in 2009. It appears their eldest could be following in the footsteps of her parents. At just 11-years-old, Alice published her first book, Raise Your Hand (2019), which teaches young girls the importance of being more confident in the classroom. 

Alice revealed to CNN in 2022 that she almost died after suffering from sepsis, which was misdiagnosed as appendicitis. Since then, she’s published another book, Use Your Voice (2024), encouraging children to advocate for their health, and even spoke at the CDC press conference on sepsis in 2023 alongside her mom.

He frequently shares family insights

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When he’s not promoting his latest book or interview, Jake frequently shares heartwarming glimpses into his family life on his Instagram page – and it’s clear both he and his son are die-hard Eagles fans. 

Jake and his son have also joined Alice for several TikTok dances, which were played live on-air during an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show in 2024.”I don’t think I realised that was posted!” Jake jokingly admitted.