The CNN Host Who's Blaming Chris Cuomo For Jeff Zucker's Resignation
The media world was stunned on Wednesday, February 2, 2022, when CNN President Jeff Zucker resigned from the position he held since 2013, claiming he had a relationship with a co-worker he did not disclose during an investigation into former host Chris Cuomo, per CNN. In December of 2021, CNN fired Cuomo when New York Attorney General Letitia James released information that indicated Cuomo had been closely involved with helping his brother, former New York governor Andrew Coumo, navigate sexual harassment allegations, according to the New York Times. Those allegations led to the governor's resignation earlier in the year.
Although Zucker did not mention the name of the co-worker in his memo, the world learned it was Alison Gollust, a CNN executive who had also once worked for the former New York governor. In the hours following the resignation, CNN's on-air personalities aired their grievances over what happened, discussing it on their shows and with other media outlets.
CNN anchors and hosts can't believe what happened to Jeff Zucker
In the hours after Jeff Zucker announced his CNN resignation, CNN employees and talent had a lot to say about the matter, with Alisyn Camerota discussed the matter with fellow anchors Brian Stelter and Victor Blackwell, saying (via The Daily Mail), "These are two consenting adults who are both executives. That they can't have a private relationship feels wrong."
An anonymous CNN executive relayed the outrage the staffers feel over what happened to The Daily Beast. "People are pissed," the executive said. "No one thinks the punishment fits the crime."
However, another anonymous staffer told The Daily Beast that this all ties back to Chris Cuomo. "Notice Zucker mentioned how this came from the Cuomo investigation," the staffer said. "People think this is clearly Cuomo dragging down Zucker on his way out."
According to The Wall Street Journal, WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar met with members of the CNN team in the afternoon, as WarnerMedia is CNN's parent company. Jake Tapper, host of "The Lead" each weekday evening on the cable news station, went straight to the heart of the matter during the meeting. In his mind, the matter is indeed Cuomo.
"An outside observer might say, 'Well, it looks like Chris Cuomo succeeded," Tapper reportedly 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?"