Atlanta’s Channel 2 Action News fired its longtime chief political analyst Bill Crane on Monday after Crane mocked former President Donald Trump live on air Sunday.
WSB-TV’s general manager, Ray Carter, addressed the termination in a statement on Monday. Carter wrote that Crane “uttered remarks not aligned with our commitment for fair and unbiased reporting and analysis. As a result, we’re ending our relationship with Mr. Crane, effective immediately. We value the trust we’ve fostered for decades with our viewers, and we continue working hard to earn and maintain that trust.”
Crane was asked to weigh in on Senator Lindsey Graham’s (R-SC) recent legal tangles with the Fulton County prosecutor looking at alleged efforts to influence the outcome of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.
“Labor Day is when undecided voters and nonaligned voters really start focusing on the election ahead and keeping Donald Trump and his fantasy of elections being stolen in November of 2020 in play, keeps Donald Trump and his looming orange face in front of voters at a time when they’re trying to decide how they’re going to vote,” Crane said during his analysis.
After being fired Crane addressed the comments on social media.
“I offered that it is part of Democratic Party strategy to keep President Trump’s fantasy of a stolen election in play, as well as to keep his orange face looming large as a Bogeyman to increase Democratic voter turnout, even
“Perhaps in my verbiage, I certainly could have been a bit more PC. I would like to think part of the reason I have been able to do this for 22 years in a top 10 media market is that I call the hard balls and strikes on either side, and attempt to do so with a bit of humor, sarcasm, the occasional pun and tongue in cheek,” he added.
Crane added the has referred to Trump as the “The Orange Man” multiple times before, but still offered an apology to anyone he may have offended.
Watch the full clip above