Malcolm Rivera
There have been claims that the CEOs of major news networks, including CNN, have donated to former U.S. President Donald Trump's campaigns. However, these claims are false. London-born British business executive Mark Thompson, who became a dual American citizen in 2024, is the CEO of CNN, and there is no evidence that he has donated to any American political campaigns.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the CEO of CNN | Chris Licht |
| Is the CEO of CNN a Trump donor? | No evidence found |
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What You'll Learn
- London-born British business executive Mark Thompson is the CEO of CNN
- There is no evidence of Thompson donating to Trump's campaigns
- CNN CEO Chris Licht praised a town hall with Trump
- CNN has been accused of moving to the right under Licht
- CNN and Trump have a long history and a deeply synergistic relationship
London-born British business executive Mark Thompson is the CEO of CNN
London-born British business executive Mark Thompson is the current CEO of CNN. He is not known to have donated to any American political campaigns, including that of former US President Donald Trump.
In 2024, a claim circulated on social media that the CEOs of CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, and The New York Times had all donated to Trump's campaigns. This claim was refuted by Snopes, which found no evidence of Thompson donating to any American political campaigns.
The claim may have stemmed from the complex and deeply synergistic relationship between CNN and Trump, which dates back to the emergence of cable TV tabloid culture in the 1980s. Trump has publicly denounced CNN as "fake news," while the network has cataloged his lies. Despite this, CNN has been criticized for its handling of Trump, including a 2023 town hall event that was seen as providing free advertising to the former president and amounting to a campaign rally.
It is worth noting that the CEO position at CNN has changed hands during the Trump presidency and the post-Trump era. Chris Licht, the current CEO, has expressed pride in the network's willingness to platform Trump, citing good journalism and news-making as the primary objectives. Licht's predecessor, Jeff Zucker, was known for his strange symbiosis with Trump, which involved a mutually beneficial relationship that boosted their respective profiles.
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There is no evidence of Thompson donating to Trump's campaigns
There is no evidence of CNN CEO Mark Thompson donating to Trump's campaigns. Snopes, a fact-checking website, investigated the claim that the CEOs of CNN, NBC, and the New York Times donated to former President Donald Trump's campaigns. They found no evidence of Thompson ever providing money to any American political campaigns.
The claim that the CEOs of major news networks and newspapers donated to Trump's campaigns was made in a now-deleted meme posted by Twitter user @LilHulkQ on July 6, 2024. The meme also claimed that Jeff Bezos, owner of The Washington Post, and Rupert Murdoch, owner of The Wall Street Journal, donated to Trump's campaigns. However, Snopes found no evidence to support these claims.
In fact, a spokesperson for Occupy Democrats, the original source of the information in the meme, told Snopes that they removed the meme after realizing that some of the information it was based on was inaccurate. Additionally, a search of OpenSecrets.org, a website that tracks political donations, found no record of donations to Trump's campaigns by the CEOs of CBS, NBC, or ABC.
While it is true that CNN and Trump have had a deeply synergistic relationship, with CNN providing a platform for Trump as early as 1987, there is no evidence that the current CEO of CNN, Mark Thompson, has donated to Trump's campaigns.
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CNN CEO Chris Licht praised a town hall with Trump
CNN CEO Chris Licht praised a town hall with former President Donald Trump, describing it as a "masterful performance" by anchor Kaitlan Collins. Licht, who described the event as "good journalism", said that Collins "pressed [Trump] again and again and made news. Made a LOT of news," despite widespread criticism from both inside and outside CNN. Many staffers were upset that the network was giving Trump free advertising in an event so heavily packed with Trump supporters that it amounted to a campaign rally.
Licht's comments are indicative of his view that news is entertainment. His praise for Collins was also patently false, as she repeatedly allowed Trump to steamroll over her, leaving countless lies unanswered. This was in keeping with CNN's long history with Trump, which dates back to as early as 1987 when the network's most highly-rated host, softball interviewer Larry King, was touting Trump as a potential presidential candidate.
Licht's tenure as CNN CEO was short-lived, lasting just over a year before he was fired in June 2023. His time at the network was riddled with programming missteps and rock-bottom ratings, and his departure came as he faced a rebellion among CNN's talent and staff.
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CNN has been accused of moving to the right under Licht
It is unclear whether the CEO of CNN is a Trump donor. London-born British business executive Mark Thompson was the CEO of CNN as of June 24, 2024, and there is no evidence of him donating to any American political campaigns. However, a post on social media claimed that the CEOs of CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, and The New York Times had all donated to former President Donald Trump's campaigns.
CNN has been criticized for its relationship with former President Donald Trump and accused of moving to the right under CEO Chris Licht. During his tenure, CNN hosted a Wednesday-night town hall with Trump, which received backlash from both the public and CNN staffers. Critics argued that the event provided Trump with free advertising and amounted to a campaign rally due to the high number of Trump supporters in attendance. In response to the controversy, Licht praised the interviewer, Kaitlan Collins, for her "masterful performance" and emphasized that making news is part of CNN's job.
Some have interpreted Licht's actions as part of a broader program to shift CNN to the right, moving away from the Trump-skepticism of his predecessor, Jeff Zucker. However, it is important to note that CNN's relationship with Trump is not new and dates back to the 1980s when Larry King touted Trump as a potential presidential candidate. Despite occasional public spats, Trump and CNN have been described as products of the same cable TV tabloid culture, with a deeply synergistic relationship.
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CNN and Trump have a long history and a deeply synergistic relationship
Zucker and Trump shared a mutually profitable relationship. Zucker introduced Trump to advertisers as the man who saved NBC, and Trump returned the favor by saving Zucker, who was facing multiple bankruptcies. This "strange symbiosis" between the two men continued even after Trump became president. Despite occasional public spats, with Trump denouncing CNN as "fake news", the network's hosts would dutifully catalog Trump's lies, creating a cycle of controversy and ratings.
CNN CEO Chris Licht has embraced this dynamic, hosting a town hall with Trump that provided a platform for the former president's conspiracy theories and misogyny. While there was significant backlash to the event, including from within CNN itself, Licht defended it as good journalism and praised the interviewer, Kaitlan Collins. Licht's stance is indicative of his view that news is entertainment and his intention to move CNN to the right.
It is important to note that, despite the appearance of a cozy relationship, CNN has also played a critical role in holding Trump accountable. For instance, CNN host Jake Tapper acknowledged the challenge of fact-checking Trump's numerous lies during the town hall interview. Additionally, there is no evidence that the current CEO of CNN, London-born British business executive Mark Thompson, has ever donated to Trump's campaigns.
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Frequently asked questions
No. The CEO of CNN, London-born British business executive Mark Thompson, has not donated to any American political campaigns.
CNN and Trump have a long history that dates back to the 1980s, when the network's most highly-rated host, Larry King, touted Trump as a potential presidential candidate. However, Trump has also denounced the network as "fake news".
Yes. CNN CEO Chris Licht hosted former president Trump for a Wednesday-night town hall. Licht acknowledged that there had been backlash to the town hall but insisted the event made for good journalism.
Yes. According to a post by @LilHulkQ, the CEOs of ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, and The New York Times have all donated to former President Donald Trump's campaigns. However, Snopes was unable to verify this claim.
