When CNN signed former Donald Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski as a paid political analyst, many journalists expressed disappointment at the hire, noting that Lewandowski’s tenure on the Trump campaign was marked by hostility toward the press and at least one incident where Lewandowski threatened one of CNN’s own journalists.
Tuesday night, Lewandowski again raised questions as he defended Trump by pivoting, and raising the question of whether President Obama had been born in the United States. “Did he get in as a U.S. citizen,” Lewandowski asked on CNN Tonight. “Or was he brought in to Harvard University as a citizen who wasn’t from this country?” This despite The White House having released the President’s long-form birth certificate—from Hawaii—back in 2011.
The birther comments came just hours after CNN boss Jeff Zucker defended Lewandowski’s hiring in an interview with Variety. “I actually think he’s done a really nice job,” Zucker said.
Corey Lewandowski goes full birther on CNN the same day Jeff Zucker defends him and says BuzzFeed isn’t real news pic.twitter.com/TT6sshwOQ7
— Nathan McDermott (@natemcdermott) August 3, 2016
Jeff Zucker criticizes BuzzFeed, yet CNN pays Lewandowski to raise the birther issue again? https://t.co/idVZVHT1fl pic.twitter.com/Ss7aj4LEUq
— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) August 3, 2016
So CNN is paying Corey Lewandowski to go on TV and bring up birther conspiracies then? https://t.co/XzPtDuR7kX
— Paige Lavender (@paigelav) August 3, 2016