Tipsheet

Ken Buck Could Be Headed to CNN After Leaving Congress

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  September 20, 2023 4:45 PM

Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) recently made headlines for his views on the impeachment inquiry announced last week into President Joe Biden, as he's claimed there isn't enough evidence. Buck is once again in the news, though, as the New York Post reports he may be retiring from Congress to work for a news outlet, including CNN, though he's also mentioned more conservative networks such as Fox News and Newsmax. Such a move would take place after Buck retires. 

As an exclusive by Steven Nelson mentioned:

Buck said privately last month that he was interested in a job at CNN, a source told The Post, after he weighed other options over the past year — including joining a DC-based law firm or seeking Biden’s nomination to the Federal Trade Commission.

Buck, 64, confirmed to The Post he’s exploring his options and said it would be “great” to join CNN.

“I am interested in talking to folks at CNN and other news organizations — on the, I don’t want to call them left, but sort of center-left — and having an opportunity to do that full-time or do that as a contributor would be great also,” Buck said in a phone interview.

The congressman called back later in the day to say that he had also expressed interest in a position at right-leaning Fox News or Newsmax.

“I didn’t want to give you the impression that I’ve only talked to folks at CNN, on the left. I’ve also talked to others about this,” Buck said.

...

A source familiar with Buck’s considerations scoffed at the prospect of him working for either Fox News or Newsmax, arguing that Fox “doesn’t need” him and that the smaller network likely would pay poorly.

“His constituents elected him to do a job right now — not go find a TV contract, not try to audition for his next job,” the source said. “People can debate whether or not he’s changed his tune [about politics], but I think a lot of people would say he probably has.”

...

One GOP congressional source told The Post it was “obvious” that Buck was exploring career options — after former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) previously emerged as a top on-air critic of other Republicans before joining CNN in January.

...

Buck said he’s interested in the potential CNN role, in part, because, “I feel like members of Congress choose the silo that they want to speak in and then they compete each other to try to be more to the right or more to the left … I think it’s essential that we get out of our tent and try to move more people in, or convince more people that we are rational and have good arguments to support our positions.”

A source close to Buck told Townhall that "Ken made it clear in the article that he has no immediate plans to leave Congress. He is honored to represent the people of Colorado’s 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives and will continue to fight to rein in spending, secure our border, combat crime in our communities, and support domestic energy production."   

The Post article also discussed how Buck has ruffled feathers by speaking out against the impeachment inquiry against Biden, even though at one point last week he said "I think it's a good move" about the impeachment inquiry. The opposition is something Nelson mentioned has "surprised fellow conservatives." 

On the op-ed Buck had published in The Washington Post last Friday, "My fellow Republicans: One disgraceful impeachment doesn’t deserve another," Nelson noted it's something "that other Republicans said included glaring inaccuracies" and that it "particularly irked fellow Republicans."

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Buck has framed his opposition in part as being "overly cautious." As Nelson quotes him as saying:

Buck is a member of the hardline conservative Freedom Caucus and said that he may still vote to impeach Biden depending on the course of the investigation.

“I’m a prosecutor, so I’ve been beat up in court when there’s missing evidence,” he said. “So I may be overly cautious in this case. But it’s very clear to me that something doesn’t smell right — that there’s smoke.

“I am not opposed to impeachment, I’m opposed to the impeachment inquiry because I don’t think it gives us any broader authority to investigate this,” Buck added.

“I think the three investigations — Judiciary, Oversight and Ways and Means — are uncovering a lot of very good information. And I think the other information could change my mind and convinced me that there should be an impeachment.”                                                                                                      

Not only did that op-ed from The Washington Post provide fodder for the outlet's Aaron Blake to publish an analysis, his remarks have also been promoted by Ian Sams, the spokesperson for the White House Counsel's office, who has posted about Buck multiple times in recent days, no less than six times since last Friday. This included two posts mentioning Buck by name on Tuesday. 

Sams was all too happy to post about "Republicans in Array" on Tuesday night as well. 

Most recently, Buck spoke with CNN's Erin Burnett on Monday about the impeachment inquiry, during which he was asked if this impeachment inquiry "is all about payback for Trump?"

"I think for some members it's about payback, or at least part of it is about payback. I also think that Hunter Biden's actions are very suspicious, and I think people are really wondering whether they tie to vice president at the time, Vice President Biden. I think there is plenty of evidence that's there. There needs to be more, in my opinion," he said, making clear he's not yet in favor of impeachment. "But I can see why some of my fellow members have decided that impeachment's appropriate at this point."

Fellow House Republicans have shared evidence, a view back up by an editorial from the Wall Street Journal.

Polling shows that at least a plurality of the American people support an impeachment inquiry, including the latest poll from The Economist/YouGov, which shows that 45 percent of total respondents, 48 percent of registered voters, 40 percent of Independents, and 84 percent of Buck's fellow Republicans strongly or somewhat approve of the impeachment inquiry.