Veteran CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour blasts Trump town hall during commencement speech
Longtime CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour slammed her network's Trump town hall and called out her boss Chris Licht by name during a commencement speech at the Columbia Journalism School.
CNN staffers are rallying behind their colleague Christiane Amanpour, who offered a blistering criticism of their network's Trump town hall, undermining their boss Chris Licht, who continues to stand behind the TV special.
Amanpour went on a tear during a commencement address she gave Wednesday at the Columbia Journalism School, revealing she confronted Licht with her opposition of the kind of platform CNN gave to former President Trump last week.
CNN's left-wing media reporter Oliver Darcy made Amanpour's comments the lead story on his "Reliable Sources" newsletter, putting it above the network's announcement that it had selected Kaitlan Collins, who moderated the town hall, to fill the long-vacant 9 p.m. ET timeslot. He also wrote a separate article published on CNN's website.
Those who either posted or retweeted Darcy's reporting include CNN anchor Jake Tapper, correspondent Isa Soares, deputy managing editor Jon Passantino, and journalists Wynn Westmoreland and Emma Lacey-Bordeaux.
CNN'S CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR CALLS OUT BOSS CHRIS LICHT, OFFERS STUNNING REBUKE OF TRUMP TOWN HALL
Veteran CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour confronted her boss Chris Licht over the network's Trump town hall. (Mike Marsland/Getty Images for SeriousFun/Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)
"Speaking truth to power is a fundamental part of our job but to speak truth to the power that signs your checks? @amanpour showing everyone how it’s done," CNN chief international investigative correspondent Nima Elbagir praised her colleague while sharing the article.
That tweet was shared by CNN anchor Erica Hill, podcast producer David Rind, CNN International producer Claudia Rebaza, journalist and producer Alicia Lloyd and investigative journalist Gianluca Mezzofiore. It was also liked by CNN special correspondent Jamie Gangel, senior national correspondent Ed Lavandera, journalists Vasco Cotovio and Zamira Rahim, producer Sandy Thin, documentary producer Mattie Reynard and breaking news writer Sana Noor Haq.
CNN anchor Sara Sidner, who Licht notably promoted earlier this year, also paid tribute to Amanpour by tweeting a photo of the two of them, captioning it "She’s a real one. @amanpour is the best of us."
"She is. Two of my favorite people and colleagues #truth," Hill replied to Sidner.
Among other CNN staffers who liked Sidner's tweet include Tapper, CNN communications exec Lauren Cone, senior publicist Kamilla Rahman, national security correspondent Josh Campbell, legal analyst, Elie Honig, medical correspondent Meg Tirrell, investigative reporter Majlie de Puy Kamp, climate change writer Rachel Ramirez, CNN Business senior writer Jeanne Sahadi, reporter Jasmine Wright, senior audience writer Christina Zdanowicz, "Who's Talking with Chris Wallace" executive producer Javier de Diego, "CNN This Morning" associate producer Emily McNulty, senior director Roxanne Garcia-Bell, producer Andrea Lewis, associate producer Sara Smart, field producer Lauren Koenig, product designer Christian Eckels, and booker Kelly Rice Carre.
CNN anchor Sara Sidner praised her colleague Christiane Amanpour following her comments knocking the network's Trump town hall. (Screenshot/Twitter)
Amanpour herself shared a YouTube link of the entire commencement ceremony, which was liked by CNN VP Caroline Faraj, correspondents Omar Jimenez and Rene Marsh, senior digital producer Sofia Mitra-Thakur, multiplatform producer Zeena Saifi, audio producer Dan Bloom, producer Gregory Wallace, senior writer Tara John. Her tweet was also shared by anchor Kristie Lu Stout and senior producer Eliza Mackintosh.
CNN did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.
Despite the hostility the CNN chief has been facing by employees and external critics alike in the wake of the Trump town hall, Licht has found support from his own boss, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, who said this week Licht is "working really hard" to restore CNN's journalistic credibility.
CNN veteran journalist Christiane Amanpour blasted her network's town hall and called out her boss Chris Licht by name during her commencement speech at the Columbia Journalism School. (Screenshot/Columbia Journalism School)
Amanpour called the Trump town hall an "earthquake" and disagreed with Licht that former President Trump should have been given "that particular format" and opposed that it aired live and included the unruly audience. She also appeared to swipe Collins, telling the crowd "We know Trump and his tendencies, everyone does. He just seizes the stage and dominates no matter how much flak the moderator tries to aim at the incoming. It doesn't often work. For me, I would have dropped the mic at ‘nasty person,’ but then that's me. I've been in the ring for a long time with many of these people."
Licht has stood by the town hall, though he reportedly has acknowledged certain elements could have been changed.
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Last week, Licht scolded Darcy for his "emotional" coverage of the town hall, which allegedly "put the fear of God in him." It was reported that Darcy "wondered to colleagues whether he should resign or if he will be fired by the network." A spokesperson for CNN told Fox News Digital "Oliver does not intend to resign." Darcy, however, has maintained his "emotional" reporting, continuing his coverage on the town hall uproar and CNN's ratings dive he suggested is tied to the backlash.