Chris Licht became the CEO of CNN in February of this year. He began to enact major changes. The biggest change was that the network would give more favorable coverage to extremist Republicans in an effort to court Conservative viewers.
The most egregious example of this move was when CNN held a Town Hall with Donald Trump. The event was humiliating for the network with MAGA audience members laughing about sexual assault and the former President repeatedly insulting moderator Kaitlan Collins.
This weekend, the Atlantic's Tim Alberta reported more deeply on the Town Hall event. The scribe notes that one of Licht's lieutenants worried that Trump may walk off set, ordered a chyron referencing Trump's sexual abuse case be taken down.
Sharing the article, Soledad O'Brien, a former CNN employee, wrote of the network's staffers, "And yet not a single one said anything--on the record, out loud, using their name. They're shocked! They're shaken! But they are also cowards, let's be honest about that. When their boss was supporting pure journalistic malpractice what did they say--out loud?"
Brian Stelter, another former CNN personality, also reported on Licht this weekend. According to Stelter, Licht has been working the phones all weekend in an effort to regain the trust of his staff.