Overview
- O’Donnell accused CNN of paying Scott Jennings to "lie about Donald Trump" and described the network as "absurdly degraded" during The Last Word.
- He argued CNN’s ownership has compromised editorial freedom and cited departures such as Jim Acosta as evidence, presenting the claims as his assessment.
- In a Mediaite interview, CNN CEO Mark Thompson defended Jennings as "good television," likened him to "D’Artagnan," and said his presence deepens the testing of ideas.
- Jennings responded on X by mocking O’Donnell’s critique, writing, "No, Lawrence, I do not have time to save your show."
- An unnamed CNN source pushed back on O’Donnell’s remarks and noted Thompson is an American citizen, as Warner Bros. Discovery undertakes a board-led strategic review after unsolicited interest with Paramount Global reportedly among potential suitors.