Many State of the Union viewers hoping for updates on the president’s stalled ceasefire deal involving Hamas and the ongoing government shutdown felt disappointed. Some accused the host of misleading viewers with ‘non-answers’. One user on X likened the responses to a Twilight Zone episode with [William] Shatner, describing them as vague, pre-printed, random one-liners that could apply to any question. Another viewer criticized the segment, saying it couldn’t be called an ‘exclusive interview’ if it was just airing propaganda. ‘Jake is the worst thing that ever happened to journalism,’ another critiqued harshly.

Another commenter observed that the texts, which contained roughly 20 words each, revealed nothing new beyond a pledge of ‘Complete Obliteration!’ for Hamas if the group remains in power, leaving uncertainty about the exact meaning of the statement. The viewer remarked that Tapper’s efforts on the national media tour might become his legacy, as he previously authored a book on high-ranking Democrats allegedly concealing former President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline, claiming he and other journalists were deceived.

On Saturday, Tapper texted Trump asking for his thoughts on Sen. Lindsey Graham’s weekend claim that Hamas had likely rejected Trump’s ceasefire plan. Among the responses, Trump said, ‘We will find out. Only time will tell!!!’ He anticipated clarity ‘soon’ regarding Hamas’s commitment to peace, confirmed Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s support by answering yes to Tapper’s query and expressed hope about the Arab League’s alignment with his peace plan.

Viewers also questioned the decision to conduct the interview via text amid rumors about Trump’s health. A CNN viewer speculated, ‘Is Donald Trump’s condition so poor he can’t even manage a phone interview?’ such skepticism arose from limited public appearances, recent photos of hand bruising, and ankle swelling. Another user questioned the authenticity of Trump texting with Tapper, doubting whether it was the president himself or just anyone handling the text responses, expressing skepticism about Tapper’s belief in the exchange’s validity.

On Monday, the 79-year-old Trump raised concern by seemingly forgetting the year of his first inauguration during a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. The two leaders are discussing conditions with Hamas, which pledged to return remaining hostages from Gaza, under ‘appropriate field conditions.’ Around twenty hostages are believed to be held. Meanwhile, Tapper’s book about Biden’s mental decline, published last May, has reached New York Times bestseller status.

During a conversation with Megyn Kelly that same day, Tapper admitted legacy media failed on covering Biden while conservative outlets, for more than a year, had it right that he was not fit for office. ‘Knowing what I know now, obviously I feel tremendous humility about my coverage,’ Tapper told Kelly, while also admitting that ‘conservative media was correct’ in how it handled the story.

Biden’s mental state was ‘not covered sufficiently’ by stations like CNN, he said. ‘Conservative media was right.’ ‘There should be a lot of soul-searching not just among me but among the legacy media to begin with – all of us – for how this was covered or not covered sufficiently,’ he continued. ‘I wish I could do differently.’ ‘Conservative media absolutely has every right to say, “We were hip to this and the legacy media was not.”‘ Egypt is set to host discussions meant to address Hamas’s reservations over Trump’s 20-point peace plan on Monday.