Former President Donald Trump celebrated the resignation of CNN President Jeff Zucker in a statement released Wednesday.
“Jeff Zucker, a world-class sleazebag who has headed ratings and real-news-challenged CNN for far too long, has been terminated for numerous reasons, but predominantly because CNN has lost its way with viewers and everybody else,” Trump said. “Now is a chance to put Fake News in the backseat because there may not be anything more important than straightening out the horrendous LameStream Media in our Country, and in the case of CNN, throughout the world.”
“Jeff Zucker is gone—congratulations to all!” the former president concluded.
TRUMP STATEMENT: “Jeff Zucker world-class sleazebag” … “Jeff Zucker is gone—congratulations to all!” pic.twitter.com/9KzLBv3MqV
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) February 2, 2022
Zucker announced his resignation Wednesday due to his romantic involvement with his “closest colleague,” whom media reporter Brian Stelter said is CNN chief marketing officer Allison Gollust. She previously worked as the communications director for former Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. (RELATED: Jeff Zucker Resigns From CNN)
The former CNN president admitted in a memo to CNN staff that he did not disclose the relationship during the investigation into former CNN host Chris Cuomo’s involvement in helping his brother cover up multiple sexual assault allegations brought against Andrew Cuomo. CNN fired Chris Cuomo in December after conducting an evaluation of transcripts released by the New York Attorney General’s office that revealed the former anchor’s involvement.
“I acknowledged the relationship evolved in recent years. I was required to disclose it when it began but I didn’t,” Zucker wrote to his CNN colleagues. “I was wrong.”
Trump previously said during an interview with Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld in September that a potential downside to running in the 2024 presidential election would be saving CNN. The former president said he was “very proud” of significantly decreasing their ratings.