CNN’s Jake Tapper has stars in his eyes for a fledgling journalist after a video of her confronting an angry Republican went viral.
The video of Cat Murphy, a University of Maryland graduate student who reports for the school’s Capital News Service, shows GOP Rep. Andy Harris falsely accusing her of recording him without permission.
She doesn’t need permission, and the exchange quickly went viral:
Republican Rep. Andy Harris incorrectly told a reporter they were breaking the law as the reporter and others recorded an exchange with him last night.
Harris had just wrapped up a debate with Democratic challenger Dan Schwartz. https://t.co/J0pWnt2lki
— The Baltimore Banner (@BaltimoreBanner) October 14, 2026
Tapper invited Murphy on CNN’s “The Lead” and gushed over her reporting.
“A lot of journalists might make it all the way to retirement and not have a confrontation like that with a member of Congress, not to mention one that’s gone viral. It’s been about a day now. How are you taking it all in?” he asked.
“I won’t lie, it has been a lot,” Murphy said. “But I was focused on doing my job.”
“He threatened to have your phone taken away,” Tapper continued. “He threatened that you would be prosecuted. Everything he was saying was completely contrary to the First Amendment and to the law in Maryland.
“Have you heard anything from his office?”
Murphy said she hadn’t heard from Harris’ office but won’t be deterred from covering him or anyone else in the future.
Tapper continued to fawn over Murphy before parting and teased a future spot for her at CNN.
“Cat Murphy, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Tapper said. “Hopefully we can get you to come work at CNN after you graduate in December.”
After a confrontation between Maryland Republican Rep. Andy Harris and student journalist Cat Murphy, during which the congressman threatened to have Murphy arrested, Murphy spoke with Jake Tapper about the incident. https://t.co/pZNrX9e0nD
— 41NBC / WMGT-DT (@41NBC) October 15, 2026
It’s telling that Tapper would float a potential job for a green reporter with one viral video of a Republican having a bad day. While other independent journalists, like Nick Shirley, are uncovering unprecedented fraud and corruption at taxpayer expense with no coverage or accolades.
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