Colbert Calls Out Anderson For Employing Lewandowski: ‘And You Still Respect His Opinion?’

During Wednesday night’s Late Show With Stephen Colbert, CNN’s stalwart anchor and professional handsome man Anderson Cooper made an appearance largely to discuss the newest developments in the 2016 race. While Donald Trump‘s great softening on immigration was understandably a topic of conversation, Colbert at one point pivoted to the role of campaign surrogates and representatives… and the name Corey Lewandowski just happened to come up.

Lewandowski, the former embattled campaign manager for Trump, was fired in June and subsequently scooped up by Cooper’s network CNN for daily analysis. After several weeks however, it was discovered that Lewandowski was still receiving a severance package from his former employer, all while still “objectively” weighing in on the state of the race.

“So, he works for you guys; does he still get any money from the Trump people at the same time?” asked Colbert knowing full well the answer as all of us in this industry do.

Cooper played coy on the issue of the severance pay, although CNN programming now identifies the situation at the start of every Lewandowski segment. “I believe — I read he gets a severance, continuing severance from the Trump campaign.”

“So ya’ll are paying him, and Trump is paying him, but he’s on your show doing analysis for a man he still gets cash from?” pressed Colbert.

Cooper sheepishly admitted after a beat, “Pretty much. Yeah, I guess that’s one way to look at it.”

(Actually Coop, that’s the only way to look at it.) “I mean, yes,” he concluded.

“And you still respect his opinion too?” asked Colbert further to nervous laughter.

Cooper danced his way through the response, invoking the role of surrogates which shifted the conversation off of awkward island and onto safer terrain.

Watch the above exchange via The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
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J.D. Durkin (@jiveDurkey) is an editorial producer and columnist at Mediaite.
[image via screengrab]

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