WASHINGTON, DC - Senate Intelligence Committee hears testimony from Director of National ... [+]
CNN announced Friday that it had signed former FBI Director Andrew McCabe as a network contributor, a move that drew immediate criticism from conservative critics of the network—including the president's son. Donald Trump, Jr. said via Twitter that signing McCabe proved CNN was "a fully integrated anti-Trump propaganda network and they don't even try hiding it anymore."
McCabe, a career veteran of the FBI, became acting director following the dismissal of James Comey. But President Trump soon targeted McCabe, questioning his loyalty and questioning whether he should be allowed to retire with full benefits.
Instead, a day before his planned retirement, McCabe was fired. He is suing the Justice Department over his dismissal—and remains the subject of a federal investigation. "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," wrote journalist Yashar Ali on Twitter.
The timing of CNN's announcement led to charges of hypocrisy, after many on the network spent part of Thursday savaging Fox News for its decision to hire former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders to a contributor's role. CNN's chief media correspondent Brian Stelter called out Fox for signing Sanders. "The Trump White House has a record of misleading the public," Stelter said. "All administrations spin. This administration lies consistently, whether it's Sanders, or Spicer, or other White House aides. And it’s all led from the top by a president who lies even about the weather and the time of day. That, I think, is why this deserves outrage and backlash," he said.
On Fox News Channel's top-rated morning show Fox & Friends Friday, the hosts laughed at the news of McCabe joining CNN, with Jeannine Pirro saying "he's perfect for them...it's not surprising they hired him, but it's disappointing."
