Because they’re all guilty of participating in the conspiracy and cover-up, CNN’s anchors have no choice but to defend Jeff Zucker’s sleazy affair with a subordinate.
On the air, on the CNN website, and in private meetings, we now know that, among others, Jake Tapper, Dana Bash, Alisyn Camerota, and Brian Stelter are vigorously defending Jeff Zucker.
Earlier this week, the CNN chief was forced to resign after his affair with a subordinate was uncovered during an internal investigation. Zucker’s sidepiece also happens to be the number two person at CNN. What’s more, she was being floated as Zucker’s replacement should he ever decide to exit the network. And I’m sure the fact that she was willing to take a bald, overweight, middle-aged gnome into her bed had nothing to do with her rise to the top.
But here’s the thing…
Zucker’s unethical relationship was an open secret at CNN. In fact, it was an open secret for years. And while Alllison Gollust claims the relationship only turned sexual this last couple of years, no one believes her. There are credible reports Zucker and Gollust were doing the bad thing all the way back to 1997 when Mr. Gnome and Madam Sidepiece worked at NBC.
And it wasn’t only this affair that was unethical. Just as unethical was how the affair compromised the entire network and everyone who worked there, including the above-named Tapper, Bash, Camerota, and Stelter.
Until she moved over to CNN in 2013, Gollust worked as Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s communications director. And what happened immediately after she was hired? CNN turned itself into the Cuomo News Network. Little brother Chris was hired to anchor a high-profile morning show. After that turned out to be a ratings failure, Chris failed upwards and was promoted to primetime. Then, between 2019 and 2020, CNN hid Andrew Cuomo’s scandals, attacked his critics, and gave him countless primetime hours to jawbone with Fredo while the entire network staff devoted itself to destroying Trump with lies and mythologizing Cuomo into his 2020 replacement. (More on this here.)
Everyone at CNN — everyone — was willing and eager to service the Jeff Zucker-Allison Gollust-Andrew Cuomo three-way affair. Everyone knew Zucker was banging Gollust. Everyone knew about Gollust’s connection to Andrew Cuomo. And still, everyone covered up the affair and repeatedly went on the air to misinform the public, to protect and prop up Andrew Cuomo.
Oh, and right now, an internal CNN investigation is looking at direct coordination between CNN and Andrew Cuomo.
So when you read about a desperate Jake Tapper defending Zucker by comparing Chris Cuomo to a “terrorist,” what you have to understand is that Tapper has no choice but to defend the indefensible, because as soon Tapper admits that what Zucker did was wrong, he’s acknowledging that his own role in covering up and servicing the Zucker-Gollust-Cuomo three-way was wrong. And no one as smug and self-righteous as Jake Tapper is capable of that kind of humility, which is why he’s making a fool of himself doing this…
During the question-and-answer session [with WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar] anchor Jake Tapper said that Mr. Cuomo hired a lawyer who seemed eager to leak damaging information about Mr. Zucker unless they gave Mr. Cuomo severance.
“An outside observer might say, ‘Well, it looks like Chris Cuomo succeeded,’” Mr. Tapper said. “He threatened Jeff. Jeff said we don’t negotiate with terrorists. And Chris blew the place up. How do we get past that perception that this is the bad guy winning?”
Same with Dana Bash:
Upon learning of Zucker’s exit, many CNN staffers felt, as Dana Bash said during a tense DC bureau meeting with WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar, that “the punishment didn’t fit the crime.” [emphasis original]
Same with Alisyn Camerota:
“I just think it’s so regrettable how it happened. If what you’re reporting is true, these are two consenting adults who are both executives. That they can’t have a private relationship feels wrong.”
Same with Brian Stelter:
Zucker is a larger-than-life figure in the news business, but here in the office, he was the boss right down the hall, always ready with a disarming joke or a story idea or a jab about the newsletter coming out too late.
Same with everyone at CNN, all of ’em, the whole bunch… They were all part of the conspiracy to cover up this inappropriate affair and service it by participating in years of shameless propaganda to make Andrew Cuomo president.
They all sold their souls to Jeff Zucker, and the only way to avoid coming to terms with that shame is to defend Jeff Zucker.
It’s all coming apart, and it is glorious.
Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC. Follow his Facebook Page here.
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