Former President Donald Trump gloated over Jeff Zucker’s ouster from CNN on Friday, saying Zucker’s “stench” was “finally leaving” the organization.
Zucker formally announced his resignation as CNN’s president on Wednesday after admitting that he had not disclosed a consensual romantic relationship with his top aide, Allison Gollust. Top anchors and hosts at CNN were reportedly shocked by Zucker’s sudden departure and blamed WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar for forcing him out. (RELATED: Jeff Zucker Resigns From CNN)
“The stench of Jeff Zucker is finally leaving CNN,” Trump wrote. “The air over there, the Radical Left will be happy to hear, is being made more ‘environmentally friendly.’ The carbon footprint is looking better. But the stench remains, and also at low-rated MSDNC, where weak leaders like Brian Roberts, of ‘Concast,’ who are under the thumb of the Left, don’t allow the truth to be told. Stockholders should not treat these companies well. We need a free and open press in our Country, and we need it now.”
Chairman, WarnerMedia Jeff Zucker attends CNN Heroes at American Museum of Natural History on December 08, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for WarnerMedia)
Trump had a deeply antagonistic relationship with CNN throughout his presidency, particularly with the network’s former senior White House correspondent Jim Acosta.
The circumstances of Zucker’s sudden departure have been the subject of palace intrigue in recent days. Reported leaks from a meeting between top-level CNN staff and Kilar the night of Zucker’s resignation suggested that CNN employees were frustrated with the move. The network’s White House correspondent, Kaitlan Collins, argued that Zucker’s ouster came as a result of a lawsuit from disgraced former host Chris Cuomo, who was forced out of the organization for sexual misconduct allegations and journalistic malpractice.
Cuomo sued CNN to be paid the remainder of his contract and reportedly pushed for an investigation into Zucker and Gollust’s relationship. Collins, who has worked for the Daily Caller in the past, reportedly argued that Zucker’s departure sent a message that the network was bending to Cuomo’s threats.