'No One Wanted Trump On Air’: CNN Morale at ‘All-Time Low’ After Town Hall ‘Ratings Grab’
May 12 2023, Published 6:00 p.m. ET
CNN staffers are annoyed their employer decided to give Donald Trump a platform, with insiders telling RadarOnline.com that morale around the office is at an "all-time low" as many employees looked at the ex-President's Town Hall event as nothing but a "gross" grab for ratings.
"No one wanted Trump on the air at CNN in a town hall format where he was just allowed to basically run his mouth unchecked," a source told RadarOnline.com. "Staffers did everything possible NOT to get stuck working on the special."
Insiders shared that the former commander-in-chief didn't ditch his macho persona on or off the stage either.
"Trump came onto set like the bully and just owned the night spewing whatever lies he wanted. It was just gross," an insider spilled. "The facts didn't matter. It's just Trump's truth."
RadarOnline.com was also told that while employees understand the network needed a ratings boost, many feel that Trump wasn't the answer.
"It was going to be the ratings blockbuster CNN needed but the entire network is already in shambles because of all of the talent that has recently been fired or just left," they explained. "Morale was already low, but this changed everything. CNN is a ghost of what it once was."
- CNN Hits Primetime Low as Ratings Suffer After Controversial Trump Town Hall
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One source said several around the newsroom weren't thrilled about having Trump appear on the same network he accused of spreading "fake news."
"The hypocrisy of having Trump on the air," the insider scoffed, "knowing it's for a ratings grab only."
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When it comes to CNN's talent, RadarOnline.com is told "the anchors are ONLY focusing on how they feel about what Trump did," with an insider pointing out that "Anderson Cooper is blaming the American public."
However, the whisper among staffers is there's someone else to point the finger at.
"So many at CNN blame Jeff Zucker for getting Trump elected because, in the 2016 election, he was on the air basically nonstop," the source revealed.
Zucker was replaced by Chris Licht after RadarOnline.com uncovered his explosive secret affair with network executive Allison Gollust. They both resigned shortly after.
While Licht promised to give CNN the facelift it desperately needed after several scandals, he's failed to deliver — and insiders suspect he'll be the one out of a job sooner than later.
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