Jake Tapper reveals Republicans privately admit they have a 'real problem' electing women

CNN's Jake Tapper revealed on Tuesday that Republicans have privately admitted to him that their party has a problem electing female candidates.

During a panel discussion on "The Lead," Tapper played a couple of clips from a recent CNN interview with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in which she argued that a female president will be elected, though maybe not in her lifetime. Melanie Mason, the California bureau chief for Politico, argued that the prospect of electing a female president was one reason some donors stayed away from Democrats during the 2024 election.

Tapper revealed that some of his private conversations with Republicans have reflected similar anxieties.

"I've had Republicans say to me confidentially ... that their party has a real problem with electing women," Tapper said. "That's gotten better, but not much better. Most of the women in the House and Senate are Democrats."

Tapper's comments happened at a time when some members of the Republican Party have also expressed concerns about the upcoming 2026 midterm election. Democrats have outperformed Republicans in nearly 30 state races since Trump took office in January 2025, leading some experts to speculate that Republicans could be facing a wipeout in the upcoming election.