Jake Tapper is mourning the loss of his beloved family dog Winston. The CNN anchor shared the heartbreaking news Monday that Winston, his 12-year-old Australian terrier, died, with Tapper fondly remembering the canine as “the best boy ever” as he thanked fans for their support.
“Some sad news at the Tapper home,” Tapper quote retweeted a post from an account created in Winston’s name, which read, “RIP Winston Tapper, 2011-2023, the best boy ever,” alongside four images of Winston. The images showed the dog with Tapper’s children – Alice, 15, and Jake, 13 – as well as a photo of Winston by himself. The Monday announcement was met with an outpouring of support from fans.
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Responding to The Lead host’s tweet, one person wrote, “Very very difficult to lose a best boy. Some of the worst days. But time heals.” Another person tweeted, “Oh, d-. My deep condolences, [Jake Tapper]. Losing a family member at any time is hard, but always worse during any holiday. Thank you for all the years of sharing Winston with all of us.” Another fan paid their respects by sharing a drawing they created of Winston of Clementine, the Tapper family’s Dachsund-Maltese mix, that follower writing, “So sorry about Winston!! I drew him and Clemmy a while ago!!!”
“Thanks for all the comforting words about sweet Winston, folks. Very kind of you,” Tapper wrote in response to the fan messages, the CNN host quoting another tweet from Winston’s account that featured a phot of the journalist holding Winston. “Here’s one of my favorite photos from the last few months. He was a very good boy and we will miss him a lot.”
While Tapper is easily recognized as a figure at CNN, Winston also enjoyed plenty of fanfare. Tapper frequently shared images of Winston, as well as Clemmy, on social media, apper in May sharing a photo of Winston at the family home, writing, “Sweet Winnie, getting older now.” That same month, he shared a sweet video to Instagram of Winston napping on the floor. In April, he posted an image of the pooch enjoying some time outside, sharing in the caption, “Behold: GOLDEN BOY.” Tapper’s posts of Winston always drew plenty of comments, with fans dubbing him a “beautiful guy” and a “distinguished gentleman.”
