In a marked departure from its previous mission to reduce partisanship, CNN has been gradually reintroducing some of its most prominent liberal figures who were previously ousted under the former leadership.
This shift comes nearly a year after Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of CNN, dismissed the network's embattled CEO, Chris Licht. Licht was initially brought in to restore the journalistic credibility that CNN had lost during the Trump era.
Licht's tenure was marked by significant personnel changes, including the removal of some of the most vocal anti-Trump commentators. These individuals had contributed to the redefinition of CNN as a news organization closely aligned with MSNBC, a network known for its overtly left-leaning stance. However, at least three of these commentators have recently reappeared on CNN's broadcasts.
Jeffrey Toobin, CNN's former chief legal analyst, left the network in August 2022 after a 20-year tenure. Although it was widely speculated that Toobin was forced out by the Licht administration, he has made a significant comeback in recent weeks. Toobin, who gained notoriety after being caught in an inappropriate act during a Zoom meeting with his New Yorker colleagues in October 2020, has made at least 20 appearances on CNN recently. He is often introduced as a "former federal prosecutor" and frequently discusses former President Trump's hush money trial.
Don Lemon, another CNN veteran, was dismissed in April last year after a series of tumultuous events, including the loss of his solo primetime show and off-set drama on his new morning show. Lemon also made controversial comments about Nikki Haley. However, he reappeared on CNN last month to discuss his cancelled deal with Elon Musk on "Erin Burnett OutFront." In a recent interview, Lemon did not rule out the possibility of officially returning to CNN.
Brian Stelter, CNN's former chief media correspondent, was let go in August 2022 following Licht's decision to cancel the network's long-standing Sunday media-focused show "Reliable Sources," which Stelter had hosted since 2013. Stelter made a few appearances on CNN late last year during a book tour and reappeared twice during Tuesday's coverage of the Trump trial. He was introduced as a "special correspondent for Vanity Fair."
A source familiar with the recent appearances of Toobin, Lemon, and Stelter told Fox News Digital that they were simply "guests" and there are no discussions about bringing them back in an official capacity. However, their return to CNN's broadcasts is a clear indication of the current CNN staff's strong disapproval of the decisions made during the Licht era.
Licht was chosen by Warner Bros. Discovery chief David Zaslav to steer CNN back on course. The network continues to lose viewers and has been tainted by a liberal, anti-Trump bias previously endorsed by Jeff Zucker, who was himself dismissed in February 2022 amid scandal. During his approximately one-year tenure, Licht struggled to gain the trust of CNN's staff, who rejected claims that the network had a liberal bias, an issue Licht was hired to address.
Licht's tenure at CNN began to unravel following the controversial Trump town hall in May 2023, which triggered an open revolt among his employees. The following month, after facing further backlash from comments he made in a profile published by The Atlantic, Licht was dismissed.
In addition to welcoming back CNN staff members he had previously fired, Licht's programming decisions also appear to have been reversed. "CNN This Morning," Licht's attempt to revamp the Zucker era's flagship morning show "New Day," was essentially scrapped earlier this year as part of a weekday programming overhaul. Licht's other project, CNN's weekly primetime experiment "King Charles" featuring CBS host Gayle King and former NBA superstar-turned-TNT sports analyst Charles Barkley, ended its limited run this month following poor viewership.
While CNN always branded "King Charles" as a limited series, it was certainly an effort to boost the network's dwindling audience by recruiting high-profile external talent. With the reversal of programming decisions and the return of previously dismissed on-air personalities, Licht's lasting impact at CNN continues to diminish.
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