Today, CNN’s Jake Tapper apologized for suggesting a report in The Wall Street Journal may have forced the Obama Administration into releasing a statement of apology over the deaths of two aid workers–one American, the other Italian–who were mistakenly killed in a U.S. drone strike on an Al Qaeda compound.
“President Obama wanted to bring this information to the American people, but it’s also, it seems fair to say, that his hand was forced to some degree by The Wall Street Journal, which was reporting this information this morning as well,” Tapper said, before learning that the White House had approached the WSJ reporter, Adam Entous, Wednesday with information about the strike, asking that the story be held until the hostages’ families could be informed.
On “The Lead”, Tapper addressed his comments and apologized directly. “I regret the error, and I apologize to you, the viewers.”