CNN announced on Friday that it hired disgraced FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, who was fired by the bureau for lying, which elicited widespread criticism from politicians, journalists, and other notable figures.
McCabe was fired by the FBI in March 2018, just hours before he was set to retire with a pension, after a Department of Justice Inspector General report found that he “lacked candor, including under oath” over the revelation that he leaked to the media.
CNN had whined repeatedly earlier in the week that former White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders had signed onto Fox News as a contributor and that former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer had signed onto the upcoming season of ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars.”
McCabe’s hiring by CNN capped a tumultuous couple of weeks for the network after April Ryan’s bodyguard was charged with assaulting a journalist, Chris Cuomo threatened to throw a man down a flight of stairs for calling him “Fredo,” and a lawsuit was filed in court against Don Lemon over sexual assault allegations, for which there is an alleged witness.
In response to McCabe’s hiring, numerous politicians, including President Donald Trump, and media figures weighed in on the controversy.
Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) tweeted: “Andrew McCabe: fired for lying to the FBI, caught by the Inspector General for unauthorized media leaks, and — worst of all — one of the ring-leaders in spreading the debunked and disastrous “Russian collusion” conspiracy theory. His reward? A paid CNN contract. Comical.”
Dana Loesch tweeted: “So those at CNN who were up in arms over Fox hiring Sanders and Spicer appearing on dancing with the stars are celebrating their network’s hiring of Andrew McCabe, who, unlike Spicer and Sanders, lied under oath and was referred for criminal charges by the IG.”
President Trump tweeted: “Disgraceful!”
Journalist Yashar Ali tweeted: “McCabe is still the subject of a federal criminal investigation. McCabe is suing the Justice Department and the FBI. Is CNN going to disclose that fact every time he is on air? I’m assuming they’re hiring him to talk about matters related to criminal justice and not the stock market.”
The Federalist’s Mollie Hemingway tweeted: “Andrew McCabe, one of the central figures of the “Russia collusion” hoax, who was fired from the FBI for lying about his leaks to the media, has been hired by CNN, one of the media outlets that did the most to perpetuate the damaging hoax.”
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) tweeted: “It’s not every day @CNN can hire someone with “failed coup attempt” on their resume…”
Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY) tweeted: “McCabe->the FBI’s former Acting Director fired for leaking to the media & lying about it to the FBI, including under oath & “failing to adhere to the highest standards of honesty, integrity, & accountability”. Nothing to see here…let’s just be outraged Spicer is dancing on ABC.”
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) tweeted: “.@CNN teams up with Andrew McCabe to attack the President. The same McCabe who was out to stop President Trump and who the Inspector General found lied three times!”
Donald Trump Jr. tweeted: “REMINDER: Andrew McCabe was fired by the FBI for leaking and getting caught lying about it. ANOTHER REMINDER: @CNN ceased being a ‘news organization’ a long time ago. They’re now a fully integrated anti-Trump propaganda network and they don’t even try hiding it anymore.”