The June 23 Erin Burnett show on CNN (6pm, CDT) welcomed Corey Lewandowski as a new CNN "political analyst", the same Corey Lewandowski that was fired a couple of days earlier as Donald J. Trump's campaign manager.
Erin questioned Lewandowski about the day's events surrounding Trump (recall his leaving for Scotland to open a new golf course and then yesterday spoke only of his golf properties (and the suites in the tower in Lansbury) despite what happened with BREXIT the evening before). Her questions included whether Lewandowski had signed a non-disparagement agreement with his former employer, meaning he is legally bound not to in any way be critical or to offer criticism of his former boss. Lewandowski hemmed and hawed in an attempt to deflect any answer the average viewer would consider to be less than honest. During that interview in answering questions about Trump, however, he kept using the pronoun "we" more than once and which was quite noticeable, as if he was still part of the Trump campaign as the campaign manager. Mind you, CNN has now hired him as a political analyst, not having invited him to become a panel member to support Trump on one or more of its news shows (Jake Tapper, Wolf Blitzer, etc.) like a Jeffrey Lord or Katrina Pierson.
This Jeff Zucker hire is already making waves in the media (e.g., David Bauder/AP, "CNN hires Trump campaign manager Lewandowski" (Washington Post, 6-23-16)) and the outrage internally at CNN is now all over the Internet (http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2016/06/25/cnn-staff-revolting-over-network-decision-to-hire-lewandowski-report-says/;http://therightscoop.com/female-staffers-at-cnn-are-livid-at-lewandowski-hire-near-internal-revolt/).
Problems on a daily basis with Trump have become legendary in the pages of this (HuffPost) online news outlet, and everywhere else. With certainty, Trump's outlandish offerings will continue and require analysis that must be objective to be creditworthy. But now, a cable media outlet that is looked upon as more centrist (besides being news worthy)---CNN--- than let's say an MSNBC or Fox News---seems to have morphed into an extension of the Trump campaign with Lewandowski on board.
How can CNN hire Lewandowski as a political analyst expected to be objective and report the pros and cons of any situation or person but that, when assigned to comment on Trump, there exists for him a legally binding and iron-clad contract in which he has agreed not to be critical or negative about him? CNN has just placed him (Lewandowski) and itself in a conflict of interest since he, and therefore CNN, cannot report to its viewers with anything negative about Trump---even if Trump deserves every word of criticism or skepticism? As well, how is that fair and impartial journalism and reporting to the CNN viewers [that includes women, Muslims, those who are disabled, military war heroes, and Hispanics, all whom Trump has insulted or whose remarks have shown to be bigoted and racist?] All these areas can never be considered by a viewer of Lewandowski analysis as anything but being biased, slanted, and prejudicial. What next, Lord or Pierson offered to become political analysts on CNN for its coverage of the presidential campaigns?
We know where and how Fox news reports when it comes to Hillary and the Donald. We know where MSNBC pretty much stands. But CNN should have known better in its hiring of Lewandowski. So, before Lewandowski does any more analyses covering Trump, it's time for CNN to say to Lewandowski---using Trump's own words from his reality TV show---"YOU'RE FIRED".