CNN (Lean Left bias) staffers are reportedly criticizing CEO Chris Licht over the network’s Wednesday night town hall featuring former President Donald Trump.

Internal Critics: CNN analyst Oliver Darcy said the network received “a fury of criticism — both internally and externally,” after Trump “unleashed a firehose of lies.” Additionally, an anonymous CNN staffer told The Washington Post (Lean Left bias), “I can’t believe anyone thought this was a good idea.”

Licht’s Defense: Licht defended the event, saying, “I absolutely, unequivocally believe America was served very well by what we did last night.” He continued: “People woke up and they know what the stakes are in this election in a way that they didn’t the day before. And if someone was going to ask tough questions and have that messy conversation, it damn well should be on CNN.”

For Context: Licht has reportedly worked to limit partisan coverage at CNN — the most popular source of online U.S. news — since taking the reins from former CNN president Jeff Zucker in February 2022. AllSides moved CNN’s bias rating from Left to Lean Left after a February 2023 Blind Bias Survey and a March 2023 Editorial Review. 

Media Reactions: Several left-leaning media outlets featured voices criticizing Licht; a New Republic (Left bias) writer said CNN executives “brought total shame on themselves, journalism, and America.” Coverage from the left often framed Trump as dishonest; The Guardian (Lean Left bias) called the town hall “lie-strewn.” Meanwhile, Fox News (Right bias) framed the “liberal network” as desperate for ratings, and  The Daily Wire (Right bias) called the criticism “Leftist Backlash.”