CNN brought in former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe to weigh in on the federal case against former President Donald Trump, and critics immediately turned their ire on the cable news giant.
While some have been critical of McCabe having a position as a CNN contributor at all — a job he has held since 2019 – many focused on the fact that he had been involved in the politically-charged investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election.
When CNN brought McCabe in on Monday — specifically to explain the differences between the case against Trump and the case against Clinton — a number of those critics found it difficult to swallow.
“CNN brings in Andrew McCabe to DEFEND the Hillary Clinton probe he botched and meddled in. The chyron: ‘Some in GOP Compare Trump Doc Charges to Clinton Email Case, But Facts Are Different.’ Insanity,” Curtis Houck tweeted.
CNN brings in Andrew McCabe to DEFEND the Hillary Clinton probe he botched and meddled in.
The chyron: "Some in GOP Compare Trump Doc Charges to Clinton Email Case, But Facts Are Different."
Insanity. pic.twitter.com/ffgjg6FyLr
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) June 12, 2023
“Harder to get a more explicit example of how CNN doesn’t give a damn about its credibility on the right or regaining the public trust writ large than having Andrew McCabe as one of their star experts on the Trump indictment,” Houck added later.
McCabe made another appearance on CNN — for the same purpose — just hours later, prompting Houck to comment, “Jake Tapper and CNN are really just giving conservatives a middle finger with this. CNN is a joke.”
And Houck was not alone.
“Keep mind, #CNN is using this guy who clearly broke the law in the Russia hoax as some sort of expert. Let that sink in,” radio host Joe Pagliarulo said.
“Have you no shame @cnn? @jaketapper?” another asked. “There should be an asterisk on the screen by his name every time McCabe speaks.”
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) weighed in as well, laying into CNN reporter Lauren Fox over the network’s decision to hire McCabe — along with former CIA Director James Clapper — in the first place.
Holy moly @SpeakerMcCarthy just absolutely nuked CNN's Lauren Fox from orbit over CNN having Andrew McCabe while lecturing Trump about classified documents pic.twitter.com/RS9z4z5LoR
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) June 12, 2023
McCabe was fired by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions in 2018 — just before he was set to retire from the Bureau — after internal reviews came to the conclusion that the former deputy director had been less than forthcoming with investigators digging into the FBI’s actions ahead of the 2016 election. He has been a contributor with CNN since 2019.