Fox News host Sean Hannity called for CNN President Jeff Zucker to be fired Monday in the wake of a fake news scandal embroiling the anti-Trump network that resulted in the resignation of three of its top journalists.
Hannity accused Zucker of destroying the network with lies and “VERY FAKE NEWS.”
Hannity made the call just hours after it was announced that three employees including the executive editor of a new investigative unit resigned after CNN was forced to retract an article connecting a Russian investment firm to associates of President Trump.
CNN’s Brian Stelter reported that Thomas Frank, the author of the piece, editor Eric Lichtblau, and editor Lex Haris had all left CNN in the wake of the scandal after an internal investigation. The retraction came after a Breitbart News investigation highlighting inaccuracies and flaws in the piece. CNN quickly deleted the story and eventually replaced it with an editor’s note.
Senior figures at the network also placed a freeze on Russia-related stories, telling employees that they had to be run through members of senior management before going live.
The brouhaha led Hannity to call for Zucker’s firing, as he cited Breitbart’s reporting of the scandal.
He also said he doubted the official narrative being fed out of CNN headquarters, suggesting that the employees may have been paid to resign, perhaps to spare Zucker’s reputation.
Hannity also tweeted to Senior White House Correspondent Jim Acosta, telling him to tell “soon-to-be-fired” Zucker to watch Hannity’s show on Fox News Channel, adding: “I have a message!”
Hannity’s call for Zucker’s firing comes after President Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., told Breitbart News that Zucker should address the scandal in an on-camera press briefing.
Adam Shaw is a politics reporter for Breitbart News based in New York. Follow Adam on Twitter: @AdamShawNY