CNN media reporter Oliver Darcy is considering resigning from the network after he melted down about CNN’s town hall with former President Donald Trump, Semafor reported Monday.
CNN President Chris Licht reportedly held a meeting with Darcy and his editor about his critical coverage of the town hall hosted by former Daily Caller reporter Kaitlan Collins last Wednesday. Licht told Darcy that his coverage was “emotional” and had “put the fear in God,” two sources told Semafor.
Darcy allegedly pushed back against Licht’s claims and argued he accurately reported the public’s viewpoints of the town hall, according to Semafor. Following the meeting, Darcy reportedly wondered if should resign or if he will be fired.
CNN spokesperson Matt Dornic disputed the report in a statement to the Daily Caller.
“Oliver does not intend to resign and his newsletter will be out per usual this evening,” Dornic said.
Chris Cuomo – Gone
Brian Stelter – Gone
Don Lemon – Gone
Jeff Zucker – Gone
John Harwood – GoneAnd now maybe their Hall Monitor-in-Chief Oliver Darcy.
Is CNN really changing for the better? https://t.co/J7DAKpziJN
— Ben Kew 🏌️♂️ (@ben_kew) May 15, 2023
Darcy openly criticized the town hall and said it was a disservice to Americans to be fed “a spectacle of lies” from the former president.
“It’s hard to see how America was served by the spectacle of lies that aired on CNN Wednesday evening,” Darcy said in a May 11 tweet.
It’s hard to see how America was served by the spectacle of lies that aired on CNN Wednesday evening. More in @ReliableSources: https://t.co/Rg44NsPLvb
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) May 11, 2023
In his “Reliable Sources” newsletter, Darcy said Trump lied about a series of topics and spewed his “shameful antics.” (RELATED: Sunny Hostin Says She Is ‘Disgusted’ By CNN Holding Town Hall With Trump)
“And CNN aired it all. On and on it went. It felt like 2016 all over again,” Darcy wrote. “It was Trump’s unhinged social media feed brought to life on stage. And Collins was put in an uncomfortable position, given the town hall was conducted in front of a Republican audience that applauded Trump, giving a sense of unintended endorsement to his shameful antics.”
CNN witnessed a surge in ratings during Trump’s town hall, reaching a viewership of 3.3 million. Trump boasted about the ratings in a Truth Social post Thursday night and commended CNN for making the “smart” decision to interview him.