CNN’s hiring of fired Donald Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, and his rumored $500,000 paycheck, continue to infuriate the staff, despite a “New York Times-style investigation” by CNN’s own media reporter (and ex-Times staffer) that found that CNN staff were merely experiencing some “discomfort” about having Lewandowski among their ranks, and earning more than some hard-working journalists and commentators.
But a CNN source told us, “There’s lots of embarrassment internally at CNN at how blatantly [CNN boss] Jeff Zucker used his in-house media reporter this weekend to try to cast shade on the Page Six report of internal revolt over the Corey payola.”
“Brian Stelter’s Reliable Sources spent 10 minutes discussing our story on the hiring, but failed to mention that CNN leaked the story about the hiring to Politico after we first called about it.” Our source continued of the Reliable Sources report, “This one was so obvious, it felt like we worked for Pravda [the communist newspaper].”
The insider added that the hiring has piqued internal rage over CNN’s near-obsessive Trump coverage.
“There’s anger internally at the way Zucker has handled his pal Trump from the beginning . . . but it has reached its boiling point . . . Especially since Zucker was off in Cannes . . . it felt like they didn’t have their hands on the wheel right as the vehicle was careening off the cliff.” Another source added, “Will CNN tell viewers before Corey speaks that he is legally prohibited from criticizing Trump?”