As Julio reported earlier this week, new CNN boss Chris Licht has been ramping up his cost-saving measures at the network that's struggled to find viewership and profitability to include layoffs of on-air talent. Sure enough, Variety scooped the names of those cut in the first round of layoffs on Thursday including some familiar if not infamous names.
As Variety reported in its breaking story on the development:
CNN executives were expected to inform staffers about layoffs at the network Thursday morning, according to these people. CNN correspondents Alison Kosik, Martin Savidge, Alex Field, Mary Ann Fox and Chris Cilizza are among the staffers who have been let go, according to two people familiar with the matter. A CNN spokesperson declined to comment.
Kosik was a New York-based correspondent for CNN, Martin Savidge worked as an anchor and correspondent out of the network's Atlanta headquarters, Alexandra Field was a breaking news correspondent for both CNN and CNN International, while Mary Ann Fox was CNN's Vice President of Northeast News. By far, the most notable name cut loose, however, is politics reporter and editor-at-large Chris Cillizza.
While CNN bigwigs say the layoffs are "part of a recalibrated reporting strategy," the cut of Cillizza, especially, could be because the salary being paid was not worth the quality of analysis and reporting he produced.
In no particular order, here are just a few of Cillizza's spiciest takes — at least out of those he hasn't deleted after they were ratio'd into oblivion or aged especially poorly — the likes of which will apparently no longer be found on CNN's air, website, podcasts, or email newsletters.
For example, his post-midterm prediction that people would blame J.D. Vance, who won the U.S. Senate race in Ohio, for Republicans not retaking control of the upper chamber.
If Republicans don't retake control of the Senate, expect a whole lot of blame to fall on JD Vance in Ohio.
— Chris Cillizza (@ChrisCillizza) November 11, 2022
McConnell super PAC had to spend $30+ million to win a state where Trump had won by 8 in 2016 and 2020.
Or his analysis that pushed the theory that "Anonymous" was Vice President Mike Pence or First Lady Melania Trump rather than who it was in reality: former DHS official Miles Taylor.
In this piece (knowing the New York Times would never let a nobody bash the President anonymously), @CillizzaCNN speculated it could be Mike Pence, Kellyanne Conway, or possibly even Melania Trump.https://t.co/7TPGDCQcnd
— Eddie Zipperer (@EddieZipperer) October 28, 2020
We'll never forget his framing of Biden's failures as merely bad luck of which the president was a victim of uncontrolled circumstances rather than a direct result of his botched policies:
Another story that frames all the bad things happening to Biden and not because of Biden. And of course guess who. pic.twitter.com/imEU5BqGIw
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) July 8, 2022
Nor will we forget his wishful thinking "analysis" that Hillary Clinton was having a "moment" and would be Democrats' savior in 2024.
“Now is her moment"https://t.co/Qr2hLuYRCb
— Chris Cillizza (@ChrisCillizza) June 28, 2022
Cillizza had been in his current role at CNN since April 2017 and where he lands next is anyone's guess. Perhaps he'll end up in one of his previous roles as MSNBC political analyst, Washington Post writer, or RollCall blogger?
This is a developing story and may be updated.
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