President Donald Trump surprised viewers during a rare telephone appearance on CNN by telling anchor Jake Tapper that his administration was actively trying to steer the media outlet toward a normal path.
The unexpected exchange occurred on July 12, 2026, during an episode of State of the Union. Trump had called into the Sunday political program primarily to pay public tribute to the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who recently passed away at the age of seventy-one following a sudden illness.
Throughout the majority of the brief conversation, anchor Jake Tapper kept the discussion strictly focused on honoring Graham's extensive political career and his complex relationship with the sitting president. Trump offered warm words for the late South Carolina senator, praising his decades of dedicated service to the Republican Party and the United States government.