An audio recording that has been leaked reveals CNN Chief Jeff Zucker praising Trump and offering him a weekly show on the network. The recording captures a conversation between Zucker and former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen just before the GOP primary debate on March 10, 2016.
Zucker is heard praising Trump and expressing the view that CNN is crucial for his electoral success, stating that Trump “can’t be elected without CNN.” He also offers to give Trump a weekly show on the network.
Given the contentious relationship between Trump and CNN, the leaked audio has come as a surprising revelation.
Leaked by Fox News’ Tucker Carlson on September 8, the audio features Zucker referring to Trump as “The Boss” and providing political advice to Cohen regarding Trump’s performance in the CNN debate in 2016.
Notably, Zucker expresses interest in offering Trump a weekly show, saying, “I have all these proposals for him. I want to do a weekly show with him and all this stuff.”
During the conversation, Zucker also praises Trump’s debate skills and offers advice on how Trump’s team should handle attacks from his opponents. He suggests that they repeatedly call Trump a “conman” to desensitize him to the term.
The relationship between Cohen and Trump has deteriorated since the recording, with Cohen serving a 3-year jail sentence for lying to Congress.
You can listen to the leaked audio below:
#BREAKING: Leaked audio revealed by Tucker Carlson shows CNN’s Jeff Zucker giving Michael Cohen advice and praising Donald Trump, even saying he wanted to give Donald Trump a weekly show.
— VosIzNeias (@VINNews) September 9, 2020
