Donald Trump took a break from criticizing the FBI on Friday to insult former CNN journalist Brian Stelter.
Amid Truth Social tweets about the FBI’s raid on his Mar-a-Lago house – which he described as a ‘break-in’ and one of the bureau’s many ‘atrocities’ – the former president found time on Thursday to take aim at Stelter, whose dismissal from CNN had been reported earlier that day.
“Fake News CNN fired Brian Stelter because he lied, lied, and lied – ABOUT ME. He may REST IN PEACE! Trump posted to his social media account.
Trump also mocked Stelter alongside Liz Cheney, the vice chair of the January 6 committee who lost her Wyoming congressional seat on Tuesday.
Which politician has less charisma, Brian Stelter or Liz Cheney? I vote for Liz Cheney because Stelter may have received more votes in Wyoming than she did the night before — she lost by 40!’
On his show Reliable Sources, Stelter was a staunch critic of Trump and conservative media, but he was fired when the show’s ratings dropped to half of its Fox News competitor’s.
Chris Licht, the new CEO of CNN, has stated that he intends to move the network’s focus from partisan programming to objective journalism, and this firing is the most recent step in this effort.
Thursday, Telter announced his departure from CNN in a statement to NPR.
He expressed appreciation for the program and his team’s investigation of “the media, the truth, and the stories that define our world.”
“It was a rare honor to host a weekly show about the press at a time when its influence has never been greater,” he added.
CNN has verified to DailyMail.com that Stelter’s final show will air on Sunday. Stelter’s resignation comes a week after fellow CNN stalwart Jefferey Toobin declared he would not be returning to the network, and as Licht has made it apparent that there would be other substantial changes.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Licht informed his team, “I want to admit that this is a period of substantial change, and I know that many of you are uneasy. There will be more changes, and you may not understand or like them.”
Many have predicted that Don Lemon, a veteran and outspokenly left-leaning anchor, may be the next to go.
In recent years, Reliable Sources’ ratings began to decline, with its audience falling to half that of its Fox News rival, MediaBuzz.
CNN’s CEO Christ Licht has shifted the network’s focus from partisan programming to impartial news.
CNN’s CEO Christ Licht has shifted the network’s focus from partisan programming to impartial news.
This year, MediaBuzz attracted an average of 1.5 million viewers, while Reliable Sources had its poorest year since 2015, with 787 thousand views.
It lost 34% of the 25-54 age demographic and 31% of the 18-49 population.
Before lashing out at Stelter on Friday, Trump continued his continuous tirade against the FBI, which he continued to refer to as a ‘witch hunt.’
“When will people realize that the atrocities being committed by the FBI and DOJ in relation to the raid and break-in of my home, Mar-a-Lago, or after years of other atrocities and unthinkable violations of freedom and the law, this has been going on for years, from the moment I descended the golden escalators in Trump Tower to the present?” he wrote.
Our country’s law enforcement has devolved into that of a third-world nation, and I do not believe the public will tolerate it.