Is CNN Really OK With Lewandowski Posing In ‘Teamwork’ Photo With Kellyanne Conway?

Justin BaragonaNov 4th, 2016, 2:52 pm
 

Since CNN hired former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski as a political commentator earlier this year, the network has been forced to defend the decision. The issue compounded when it was discovered that Lewandowski was still receiving severance at the time from Donald Trump while working for CNN. (The network announced in late September that he’s no longer being paid by Trump.) Also, his signing a non-disclosure agreement with Trump meant he likely couldn’t say anything critical about the real estate mogul.

While CNN’s president Jeff Zucker has continuously defended the move, saying Corey has done a “really nice job,” media critics have hit back. Meanwhile, it has been noted that Lewandowski has served as an unofficial adviser to Trump and he was recently caught sneaking off Trump’s private plane.

Well, on Friday, four days out from Election Day, Lewandowski once again put the network in a potentially compromising position.

Yep, that’s him posing with current Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway and campaign spokesperson Hope Hicks, in New Hampshire at a Trump rally today — Lewandowski lives in New Hampshire — with the hashtag #Teamwork.

One wonders how Zucker and the network is going to spin this. Lewandowski has already earned tens of thousands of dollars from the Trump campaign since coming on to CNN. He has yet to offer any sort of real political analysis on air, instead serving as just another Trump defender alongside others like Jeffrey Lord, Kayleigh McEnany and Scottie Nell Hughes.

Shortly after Lewandowski’s hiring was announced, it was reported that many at the network were fuming over the move, considering Lewandowski’s treatment of the press in the past. He’s also been admonished on the air by his colleagues for incendiary statements he’s made, such as falsely suggesting a reporter was a 9/11 truther or going full birther. Also, during a conversation with host Chris Cuomo last month, he seemed to hint he was still involved with the campaign.

There was quite a bit of reaction from the media to the tweeted photo.

Will there be any kind of repercussion?

Mediaite has reached out to CNN for comment and will update if and when we receive a response.

[image via screengrab]

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Follow Justin Baragona on Twitter: @justinbaragona

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.

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