Jack Posobiec appears in an interview on CNN’s “Erin Burnett OutFront.” (Screen grab via CNN)
Earlier this month, in the chaotic aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, CNN correspondent Meena Duerson sat down with far-right media personality Jack Posobiec to discuss his friend’s murder. Posobiec, of course, was no ordinary grieving ally—he has spent years spreading misinformation, promoting conspiracy theories, and inciting harassment against journalists.
So it was jarring, to say the least, to see him appear on CNN’s air. What was more surprising was that the network, which gave the package prime placement on "Erin Burnett OutFront," didn’t note any of his long history of pumping toxic waste into the information ecosystem, nor did it confront him with tough questions about his well-documented behavior as an online MAGA troll.
Instead, CNN handed Posobiec a softball interview, identifying him as “Charlie Kirk’s friend” and effectively laundering his reputation for a mainstream audience. At one point, Duerson asked Posobiec, “Are we facing a civil war?” Posobiec replied, “Well, there’s no question we are facing asymmetric civil warfare.” Instead of Duerson pushing back on the dangerous—and false—claim, CNN put it in the on-screen banner and used it as the headline for the online clip on its highly-trafficked website and far-reaching social media channels.
Ultimately, the segment sanitized one of the internet’s most notorious conspiracy theorists. To be fair, CNN wasn't alone. On CBS News' streaming platform, anchor Major Garrett treated Posobiec with velvet gloves as well. But the CNN interview drew far more attention. Posobiec must have been surprised with how positively he was treated by the network. Indeed, he appeared to be quite thrilled with the interview, posting clips of it himself on social media.
Behind the scenes at CNN, however, the reaction was sharply different. According to people familiar with the matter, the package by Duerson—who joined CNN in 2024 from Vice News—generated significant backlash. I’ve learned that…
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Jimmy Kimmel. (Screen grab via ABC)
Kimmel Takes the Stage: Jimmy Kimmel is poised to deliver one of the most consequential monologues of his career. The ABC late-night host will return to air Tuesday after being suspended by Disney under pressure last week from Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr. It's unclear what Kimmel will say and Disney has declined to preview his remarks. But it's safe to say that…
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