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CNN Condemns ‘Abhorrent’ Pro-Hitler Tweets From Freelance Contributor, Says He Will Not Work With Company In ‘Any Capacity’ Again

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Greg Price Contributor
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CNN condemned a freelance contributor Sunday night after a widely-shared series of anti-Semitic pro-Hitler tweets were revealed.

Adeel Raja, a Pakistani journalist and producer based in Islamabad, sparked outrage on social media after tweeting Sunday afternoon from his verified Twitter account with 80,000 followers that “the world today needs a Hitler.”

CNN Condemns 'Abhorrent' Pro-Hitler Tweets From Freelance Contributor

Tweet shared from Adeel Raja’s account that sparked outrage on social media.

Raja had previously voiced his displeasure with Israel’s actions in the ongoing conflict with Hamas, referring to them as “terrorists” in a May 13 tweet as thousands of rockets were being fired into the Jewish state from Gaza.

Social media users soon after dug up a series of old tweets from Raja praising the Nazi leader.

“The only reason I am supporting Germany in the finals – Hitler was a German and he did good with those Jews!” Raja wrote on the day of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in which Germany defeated Argentina.

“Hail Hitler,” Raja tweeted the next day.

CNN Condemns 'Abhorrent' Pro-Hitler Tweets From Freelance Contributor

2014 tweet from Adeel Raja that also sparked social media outrage.

CNN Condemns 'Abhorrent' Pro-Hitler Tweets From Freelance Contributor

Another 2014 tweet from Adeel Raja’s account.

Users on social media also pointed to Raja’s affiliation with CNN. He lists himself on his LinkedIn page as a “Freelance Contributor” since 2013.

The CNN website showed Raja had dozens of articles under his byline since 2014 that mostly focused on local news stories in Pakistan, the last of which was written on September 20, 2020.

CNN Head of Strategic Communications Matt Dornic condemned Raja’s tweets in a statement to the Daily Caller and said that he will not be working with the company “again in any capacity.” (RELATED: CNN Gives White Nationalist Richard Spencer Airtime To Dissect Trump’s Tweets, And He’s Not A Fan)

“Adeel Raja has never been a CNN employee. As a freelancer, his reporting contributed to some newsgathering efforts from Islamabad. However, in light of these abhorrent statements, he will not be working with CNN again in any capacity.”