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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Alex Marquardt's exit from CNN 'obviously' tied to network's costly defamation trial, insiders say
CNN parted ways with its chief national security correspondent, Alex Marquardt, Monday and many of his now-former colleagues say it's "obviously" tied to the network's costly defamation trial earlier this year. "Obviously, the court case is a core reason why, that is obvious," one CNN insider told Fox News Digital. Marquardt was at the center of a defamation case brought against him and CNN in January by U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young. A Florida jury found that CNN defamed Young and ruled that he could seek punitive damages as a result of a November 2021 report by Marquardt. The report branded Young as a shady profiteer who exploited "desperate Afghans" trying to flee Afghanistan during the Biden administration's chaotic military withdrawal from the Taliban-run country, implying Young was operating on a "black market." Alex Marquardt Out At Cnn After Eight Years; Reporter Was As The Center Of Costly Defamation Trial The jury had initially awarded Young $5 million in financial and emotional damages before Young and CNN reached an undisclosed settlement, suggesting the network gave Young significantly more money. The jury foreman later told Fox News Digital they were prepared to make CNN pay "somewhere in the neighborhood of $50 million to $100 million" in punitive damages. Cnn Defamation Trial: Losing Case Expected But Still A Bad Bruise For The Network, Insider Says Read On The Fox News App "He has not done anything else that is wrong. So if he was terminated, that has to be a core reason why. It's just the logical thing," the CNN staffer said. Despite the certainty among CNN staff that Marquardt's departure was directly linked to Young's settlement, they remained puzzled by the timing since it came nearly five months after the trial. The first staffer said, "I'm not sure how much strategizing is going into things these days." It seemed like Marquardt was in good standing with CNN even after the trial as he continued making regular on-air appearances, most recently last Tuesday. He even served as a fill-in anchor on Memorial Day. "Alex is on our air because he is an experienced, veteran reporter with valuable insights on the news," a CNN spokesperson told Fox News Digital in late January after the trial. But according to the Status newsletter, Marquardt's dismissal was the result of a "post-settlement ethics compliance review" launched by CNN earlier this year in which he and others involved in the defamatory report were interviewed. Marquardt was informed about the network's decision on Friday, citing "unspecified editorial differences." The bar for proving defamation in court is historically high as many lawsuits are either dismissed or result in a settlement before going to trial. Young's lawsuit against CNN was a rare instance where a jury did find the network liable for defamation, yet a settlement was later reached. Perhaps it was because of the damning evidence Young's legal team gathered during discovery, much of it involving Marquardt himself. "[W]e gonna nail this Zachary Young mf---er," Marquardt told a colleague in a 2021 message exchange before finishing the report. That comment was repeatedly referenced by Young's attorneys throughout the trial. "I always thought he was a professional. But those internal messages left CNN with no other choice," a second CNN staffer told Fox News Digital. Cnn's Alex Marquardt Hesitant To Admit He Made Money Covering War Zones: 'I Don't Go There To Get Paid' The second CNN staffer insisted, "It's hard in my mind not to make a connection" between Marquardt's abrupt exit and the defamation trial. "He was a chief correspondent. A chief. There was no send off. Nothing like that at all. It all went into the quiet goodnight," the second CNN insider said. "He was a great reporter in the field, really good in war zones. That's what makes it a shame." Marquardt was vague about his sudden exit from CNN, posting on X, "Some personal news: I'm leaving CNN after 8 terrific years. Tough to say goodbye but it's been an honor to work among the very best in the business. Profound thank you to my comrades on the National Security team & the phenomenal teammates I've worked with in the US and abroad." CNN declined to comment, citing a policy not to discuss "personnel matters." The network did not respond to additional requests for comment. Marquardt did not respond to requests for comment. In a post-trial interview, Young said he hadn't forgiven Marquardt, calling him out for remaining defiant on the witness stand at the trial. "We've given Mr. Marquardt plenty of opportunities during deposition and then again at trial to apologize. And, you know, the answer was no," Young told Fox News Digital. "He still stands behind his work. He's very proud of what he did. His hit piece on me to destroy my life." "He's not my biggest fan," Young added. On the witness stand, Marquardt insisted his report was not a "hit piece" on Young and that he was proud of his work. "I wasn't looking to take anyone down. I didn't take anyone down," Marquardt testified. Cnn Defamation Trial: Plaintiff Accuses Network Of Faking Critical Phone Call For 'Theater' CNN issued an on-air apology in March 2022 after Young threatened to take legal action. But throughout the trial, Marquardt and several CNN staffers testified they didn't feel the apology was necessary. CNN senior vice president Adam Levine admitted to the jurors that the apology was merely a legal decision. "Alex Marquardt had put in an email, 'I'm going to nail this Zachary Young.' At that point it seemed as though he had put a target on Mr. Young's back, and he was not going to let up until he reached his goal… It was obvious to the entire jury that he was out to get him," jury foreman Katy Svitenko told Fox News Digital in February. That was the moment Svitenko decided it was defamation with malice. "The jury pretty much agreed… those emails among the CNN employees were pretty bad. And not just one, it was several, at various levels throughout the corporation," she said. Fox News' Brian Flood contributed to this report. Original article source: Alex Marquardt's exit from CNN 'obviously' tied to network's costly defamation trial, insiders say
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Alex Marquardt out at CNN after eight years; reporter was at center of costly defamation trial
Longtime CNN correspondent Alex Marquardt is exiting the liberal network less than five months after his reporting helped cost the company millions as a result of a defamation trial, Fox News Digital has confirmed. "Some personal news: I'm leaving CNN after 8 terrific years. Tough to say goodbye but it's been an honor to work among the very best in the business. Profound thank you to my comrades on the National Security team & the phenomenal teammates I've worked with in the US and abroad," Marquardt posted on X. Former CNN media correspondent Oliver Darcy reported that Marquardt had been fired over "editorial differences," but Marquardt was vague when announcing the news on social media on Monday. CNN declined comment, citing a policy not to discuss "personnel matters." Cnn Defamation Trial: Losing Case Expected But Still A Bad Bruise For The Network, Insider Says In January, a Bay County, Florida jury found that CNN had defamed U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young and ruled that Young could seek punitive damages as a result of a November 2021 report by Marquardt. Young successfully accused CNN of smearing him by implying he illegally profited when helping people flee Afghanistan on the "black market" during the Biden administration's military withdrawal from the country. Young believed CNN "destroyed his reputation and business" by branding him an illegal profiteer who exploited "desperate Afghans" during Marquardt's segment. Read On The Fox News App CNN and Young agreed to an undisclosed settlement before the jury had a chance to determine punitive damages. The jury had awarded Young $5 million in financial and emotional damages before the settlement was reached. The jury foreman later told Fox News Digital they were prepared to make CNN pay "somewhere in the neighborhood of $50 million to $100 million." It was also revealed that Marquardt told a colleague "we're gonna nail this Zachary Young mf---er," a message often cited throughout the trial. CNN previously insisted Marquardt remained on the air in the aftermath of the case because he was an "experienced, veteran reporter with valuable insights on the news." Marquardt did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment. In a post-trial interview, Young said he hadn't forgiven Marquardt, calling him out for remaining defiant on the witness stand at the trial. "We've given Mr. Marquardt plenty of opportunities during deposition and then again at trial to apologize. And, you know, the answer was no," Young told Fox News Digital. "He still stands behind his work. He's very proud of what he did. His hit piece on me to destroy my life." "He's not my biggest fan," Young added. On the witness stand, Marquardt insisted his report was not a "hit piece" on Young and that he was proud of his work. Cnn Defamation Trial: Plaintiff Accuses Network Of Faking Critical Phone Call For 'Theater' "I wasn't looking to take anyone down. I didn't take anyone down," Marquardt testified. CNN issued an on-air apology in March 2022 after Young threatened to take legal action. But throughout the trial, Marquardt and several CNN staffers testified they didn't feel the apology was necessary. CNN senior vice president Adam Levine admitted to the jurors that the apology was merely a legal decision. "Alex Marquardt had put in an email, 'I'm going to nail this Zachary Young.' At that point it seemed as though he had put a target on Mr. Young's back, and he was not going to let up until he reached his goal… It was obvious to the entire jury that he was out to get him," jury foreman Katy Svitenko told Fox News Digital in February. That was the moment Svitenko decided it was defamation with malice. "The jury pretty much agreed… those emails among the CNN employees were pretty bad. And not just one, it was several, at various levels throughout the corporation," she said to Fox News Digital. Young's attorney in a lawsuit against the Associated Press regarding similar reporting, Daniel Lustig, believes the timing of Marquardt's exit is "curious." "Mr. Marquardt was the lead reporter on the CNN story that a Florida jury found to be false and defamatory. CNN initially retracted the story in an attempt at damage control, but it didn't work. A Florida jury found CNN liable for punitive damages based on less severe language. The Associated Press had full knowledge of that outcome and still chose to escalate the defamatory accusation. Now the CNN reporter has left the network for undisclosed reasons, but the timing is curious. CNN was held accountable, but AP chose to disregard my client's vindication and instead, it escalated a false narrative that had already been dismantled in court. That says everything you need to know about their judgment and what's coming next," Lustig told Fox News Digital. Fox News Digital's Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this article source: Alex Marquardt out at CNN after eight years; reporter was at center of costly defamation trial
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Credibility crisis: When CNN criticized questioning Biden's mental fitness
A CNN anchor is the co-author of a buzzy new book that sheds light on President Joe Biden's apparent mental decline in office and the cover-up orchestrated by his team, but various CNN figures were critical in the past of narratives that questioned his fitness. As Jake Tapper and co-author Alex Thompson promote "Original Sin," an account of the cover-up that features high-level Democratic sources, media critics have noted CNN and other mainstream outlets downplayed or were even hostile to the suggestion that Biden could be losing his grip before last year's debate against President Donald Trump. Here are four examples at CNN. New Book Reveals Biden's Inner Circle Worried About His Age Years Before Botched Debate Performance Videos of Biden freezing up or appearing confused at various events went viral throughout 2024, but the White House aggressively pushed back, saying some of them were edited in a misleading fashion or didn't show what they purported. The term "cheap fakes" was popularized, and press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre noted from the podium that fact-checkers and mainstream outlets also embraced the term. Read On The Fox News App CNN White House correspondent Arlette Saenz pushed the White House's narrative last year about a video of Biden appearing to freeze up at a fundraiser with Jimmy Kimmel, saying Biden had merely "looked out at the crowd for a few seconds" before walking offstage with President Barack Obama, adding that "Republicans and right-leaning media outlets" "used this moment to say that President Biden froze." Moments later during a panel discussion, CNN commentator and former Kamala Harris adviser Jamal Simmons called Biden's fundraiser moment an "obviously selected video." "These are cheap fakes, [as] the White House and Biden people are calling them," Simmons told CNN's Erin Burnett. Tapper feels differently about them. Jake Tapper Declares Biden White House Lied About 'Cheap Fakes' After Cnn Peddled Narrative In 2024 "The Biden White House falsely- when people showed that clip and asked what was going on- said it was a 'cheap fake.' They did this all the time when there was video that seemed to show Biden acting in an odd or unusual, seemingly out-of-it way, they would call it a 'cheap fake.' It was not fake. It was actual video," Tapper said last week. In a story in the aftermath of the Robert Hur report where Biden was memorably described as an elderly man with a poor memory, CNN's website published an article expressing concerns about both Biden and Trump and what type of cognitive ability was normal for a person in their 80s. The article cited a professor who said Biden's issues with word recall were not necessarily indicative of someone having memory issues. Biden at times during the interview with Hur had difficulty remembering when he was vice president and the year of his son Beau's death in 2015. The article concluded with the professor saying that ageism was codified in how people talk to one another, suggesting that the skepticism about Biden was a form of prejudice against the elderly. "Ageism is not just what people do to each other. Ageism is also a mindset that you carry within yourself," the professor said. "It actually impacts your health negatively." Jake Tapper's Past Coverage Of Biden's Cognitive Decline Under Scrutiny Ahead Of His New Book Ex-CNN media reporter Oliver Darcy repeatedly hammered proponents of the idea that Biden was in mental decline in his "Reliable Sources" newsletter before leaving CNN last year. "For years, and particularly over the last few months, MAGA Media has portrayed Biden as a senile, mentally incapacitated elderly man who cannot remember what he had for breakfast, let alone run the federal government," Darcy wrote in a newsletter last June, before the then-president's disastrous debate. Darcy declared the debate would give Biden an easy chance to "puncture the narrative" that he lacked fitness for office, suggesting Republicans had stupidly lowered the bar so much that Biden would easily clear it and come out of the debate stronger. "That's a worry for right-wing media figures, which risk seeing their bogus narrative about Biden being ripped up in real time," he wrote. Darcy also blasted the Wall Street Journal report last June about Biden's behind-the-scenes decline in his newsletter, saying it "owes its readers — and the public — better." Asked for comment by Fox News Digital about his past coverage, Darcy, who left CNN last year to start his own newsletter called Status, pointed to his newsletter Wednesday where he declared conservative media outlets were taking an undeserved victory lap. Biden Insider Exposes How White House 'Gaslit' The Public About Former President's Decline "For years, right-wing media pushed a warped narrative of Joe Biden as a brain-dead puppet controlled by sinister, shadowy forces. Now they're demanding vindication—but they do not deserve it," he wrote. Even after Biden dropped out of the race last July, "The View" co-host and CNN commentator Ana Navarro was committed to defending his mental acuity in office. Later that week, Manhattan Institute official Reihan Salam wondered if Biden should even stay in office until his term ended, but Navarro erupted that any talk about his state behind the scenes was mere speculation. "No, it is speculation! It is speculation! Because actually, unlike you, I've actually seen the guy at 9:00 at night. I have seen him after he has had five different events in 24 hours," Navarro said at one point. Navarro appeared to have a strong interest in Biden, beyond that of a typical media pundit. Although she continues to identify as a Republican, the left-wing commentator is an avid supporter of the Democratic Party, hosted the second night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention, and has referred to Biden and Harris as "Uncle Joe" and "Auntie Kamala." CNN has stood behind Tapper's past reporting in light of his new job, pointing to examples when he aggressively covered the subject. For his part, however, Tapper has said he feels "humility" about his past work on Biden and praised conservative media outlets for discussing what was in plain sight. Fox News Digital's Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this article source: Credibility crisis: When CNN criticized questioning Biden's mental fitness
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Joe Scarborough admits he was 'obviously wrong' about 'best Biden ever' comments
MSNBC host Joe Scarborough conceded on Wednesday that he was "obviously wrong" when he called former President Joe Biden the "best Biden ever" in March 2024. Scarborough explained during a conversation with CNN's Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson on "Morning Joe" that he was in Ireland with Biden in 2023, noting the president had done several events and spoke to the MSNBC host for an interview. "He's doing well, he has a hero's reception in Ireland. I've told you about going in and talking to him for two and a half, three hours inside the White House, far beyond cogent. I mean really, really has a better, well, has a grasp of international politics in a way that only somebody who's been doing it since he was 29 years old," Scarborough said regarding the exchange. "We get phone calls at home where the guy is like pounding me because of op-eds that I wrote, etc., etc. So, I said that this was Biden at his best. That's what I saw. That's what other people saw, I was obviously wrong, so I'm not sure what my takeaway is here, the next time," the MSNBC host said. Cnn's Axelrod Suggests Discussions Around Biden's Mental Acuity Should Be Set Aside Amid Cancer Diagnosis Scarborough was pressed on the clip of himself calling the former president the "best Biden ever" early in 2024 during a Tuesday conversation with journalist Mark Halperin on his show, "Next Up with Mark Halperin." Read On The Fox News App The MSNBC host stood by his comments even as Halperin pressed him on whether he should have added a caveat of "except on the days when he's not the best Biden ever" to his remarks, as the pair discussed how the former president had good days and bad days in office. On "Morning Joe" in March 2024, Scarborough said of Biden, "I've said it for years now, he's cogent. But I undersold it when I said he was cogent, he's far beyond cogent. In fact, I think he's better than he's ever been, intellectually, analytically, because he's been around for 50 years." "Start your tape right now because I'm about to tell you the truth. And f-you if you can't handle the truth. This version of Biden, intellectually, analytically, is the best Biden ever," the host added. Dan Gainor: Journalism's Original Spin. 7 Ways The Tapper/thompson Biden Book Attempts To Absolve Media Thompson and Tapper joined the MSNBC program on Wednesday to discuss their new book about Biden's mental acuity, during which Tapper told Scarborough that the former president made a point to convince the MSNBC host that he was fit to run for re-election. "And so again, am I going to look at a clip that's gone viral and pay more attention to that than two and a half, three hours I had with a guy one-on-one going around the world? No, I'm just not going to," Scarborough said in response to the revelation. "Are some of the clips bad? Yeah, they certainly are bad." However, he argued that Biden's missteps didn't get in the way of him governing. Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture "Put into proper context, I'm just not going to freak out and melt down on one or two clips here and there," Scarborough said. "And again he bumbled around, and he stumbled around, but he has for quite some time. That didn't seem to me to get in the way of Joe Biden being able to analyze the most important issues."Original article source: Joe Scarborough admits he was 'obviously wrong' about 'best Biden ever' comments
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Obama aide admits attacks against Hur report 'weren't totally fair' after released audio
Former Obama spokesperson and political commentator Tommy Vietor wrote Saturday that critics of Special Counsel Robert Hur's report on former President Joe Biden "weren't totally fair." Vietor shared revelations on social media about a new book by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson, "Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again," and called Hur's report the most interesting context for the book. Though he originally considered Hur's comments about Biden being an "elderly man with a poor memory" to be "Jim Comey-style inappropriate editorializing about a non-charging decision," Vietor said the book changed his mind. "[T]he book made me realize how important that context was for Hur in explaining his decision NOT to charge Biden, and I now feel that many of the attacks on Hur, including by me, weren't totally fair," Vietor wrote. Cnn Host Suggests Robert Hur 'Undersold' Extent Of Biden Memory Lapses During Special Counsel Interview He added that he still believed the situation around Biden's memory was "complicated" but that "clearly Biden was experiencing cognitive decline." Read On The Fox News App "The just-released audio clearly shows a guy who should not be running for reelection. It also shows a man who is exhausted because the October 7th attacks had just happened. And the broader context is a very scary and politically devastating law enforcement interview. It's just messy and terrible all around," Vietor wrote. Vietor was originally one of many Democratic critics of the Hur report after it was released last year, going as far as to call Hur's claim that Biden couldn't remember when his son died an "outrageous lie" and "cruel." "Hur's claim that Biden couldn't remember the day his son died was an outrageous lie. It's also cruel & irrelevant. Anyone who has experienced loss like that can remember images, smells, bit of conversations. The pain is burned into you. Dates blend together bc they're irrelevant," Vietor wrote. Biden's Autopen Use Questioned Amid Released Audio From Special Counsel Hur Interview Vietor revealed last month on "Pod Save America" that he had read an early copy of the book and described the details at the time as "enraging." Since then, he has said he had no interest in hearing from Biden anymore. Released audio from Biden's interview with Hur was reported by Axios on Saturday. The audio showed the president struggling with key memories, including when his son Beau died, when he left the vice presidency and why he had classified documents he shouldn't have had. Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture When asked by Hur about where he kept papers he was actively working on around 2017 and 2018, Biden said that Beau Biden was either "deployed or is dying" at that time. Beau died in 2015. At one point, Biden said to himself "When did Beau die?" and a lawyer answered that it was article source: Former Obama aide admits attacks against Hur report 'weren't totally fair' after released audio
