Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 07:07 pm
In a move that made their 2016 election bias clear, CNN hired former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski despite the fact that Lewandowski is forbidden by a non-disclosure agreement to say anything negative about Donald Trump.
CNN tried to defend hiring Trump’s former campaign manager as on-air talent:
Lewandowski’s hiring by CNN is bound to be controversial, in part because he was accused of assaulting a reporter, Michelle Fields, after a Trump press conference in March. He was later cleared of any charges.
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
More broadly, the Trump campaign’s hostility toward the press has been widely criticized by journalism advocates.
But Lewandowski, in his new role as a regular guest who will be exclusive to CNN, brings the same thing some of CNN’s other paid commentators bring: first-hand experience running a presidential campaign.
His perspective might be uniquely valuable given that he was Trump’s right hand man up until this week.
That all sounds great until one realizes that due to his non-disclosure agreement, Lewandowski is forbidden to say anything negative about the presumptive Republican nominee.
The AP reported, “In his businesses and presidential campaign, Trump requires nearly everyone to sign legally binding nondisclosure agreements prohibiting them from releasing any confidential or disparaging information about the real estate mogul, his family or his companies. Those subject to confidentiality agreements include senior advisers like Lewandowski, campaign volunteers and even a maker of his famous “Make America Great Again” hats.”
CNN just hired a guy who can’t legally say anything negative about Donald Trump. What exactly is the journalistic value of a former campaign manager who can’t tell the whole truth? How will Lewandowski provide insight into the Trump campaign when he knows that Trump monitors all of cable news and will sue anyone at the drop of a hat?
The answer is that Corey Lewandowski wasn’t hired to provide objective analysis and insight. CNN brought Lewandowski aboard so that he can push Trump propaganda. If CNN had any interest in object journalism, that would not have hired Lewandowski.
Lewandowski hiring is more proof that to become president; Hillary Clinton will have to defeat both Donald Trump and the media establishment that enables and broadcasts Trump propaganda.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
