CNN Hires Two Former Weekly Standard Writers in D.C. Office

Two former writers for the Weekly Standard, the Never Trump magazine that shut down last month, have found homes at CNN’s Washington, D.C. office.

“We are excited to announce @MichaelRWarren & @HolmesLybrand will be joining the @CNN Washington Bureau,” CNN announced Monday in a tweet.

Two former Weekly Standard staffers are joining @CNN: https://t.co/QCbqp5hYX7

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) January 14, 2019

Michael Warren held the position of senior writer at the Standard while Holmes Lybrand was a fact-checker.

The Weekly Standard was shut down in December by parent company Clarity Media Group. The magazine, once an influential voice for conservative readers, went fully anti-Trump during the 2016 election and in its aftermath.

President Trump hit the Standard following the shutdown, saying in a tweet, “The pathetic and dishonest Weekly Standard, run by failed prognosticator Bill Kristol (who, like many others, never had a clue), is flat broke and out of business. Too bad. May it rest in peace!”

The pathetic and dishonest Weekly Standard, run by failed prognosticator Bill Kristol (who, like many others, never had a clue), is flat broke and out of business. Too bad. May it rest in peace!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 15, 2018

Very few, if any, legitimately conservative voices can find a home in the establishment media. Ross Douthat at the New York Times occasionally ruffles leftist feathers, but keeps his spot at the Times by routinely attacking the Trump movement.

National Review‘s Kevin Williamson was hired by the Atlantic, but left just days later after old comments he made about abortion resurfaced.

As for CNN, their “conservative” voices consist either of rabid anti-Trumpers like Ana Navarro, or Trump backers who seem to exist only to be brought on air and berated and attacked.

CNN also has a habit of routinely firing their pro-Trump voices, such as Paris Dennard, Jeffrey Lord, and Ed Martin.