During Super Tuesday election night coverage in March 2016, he argued that the KKK was a left-wing organization because of Democrats' support of it many decades before. "One of them is to mock them." Unwavering Trump praiseĭuring his presence on CNN's airwaves Lord had frequently riled CNN hosts including Anderson Cooper and Don Lemon, fellow commentators, and viewers with many of his statements. "I believe in a writer's toolbox there are several ways you deal with people," Lord said. In subsequent tweets, he insisted he meant to be "mocking Nazis and Fascists." The Current Why the 'fire and fury' of Trump's salesman approach to diplomacy doesn't workįollowing a harsh exchange of tweets with Carusone earlier this week, Lord posted an article for The American Spectator on Thursday morning, calling Carusone's group the "Media Matters Fascists" and casting them as "anti-free speech bigots who, in typical fascist style, make it their mission to shut down speech they don't like."ĭuring the day, the Twitter sparring resumed, with Lord finally responding to Carusone with the tweet: "Sieg Heil!" He had repeatedly clashed with Media Matters president Angelo Carusone, whose group condemned CNN for employing him as a commentator. A contributor to the conservative magazine The American Spectator, Lord is a former aide to Jack Kemp and Ronald Reagan. Retained by CNN in August 2015, Lord was an indefatigable on-air supporter of Donald Trump throughout his candidacy and since his election. He declined to get into specifics of how he was fired, saying he wanted to keep that a private conversation. "From my perspective CNN caved on the First Amendment of all things. He called himself a "First Amendment fundamentalist" and called CNN's decision disappointing.
Why Trump's 'fire and fury' approach to diplomacy doesn't work.Tense times in Guam after North Korea missile threat."I think they're terrific people and serious people." I think the world of CNN," Lord told The Associated Press. I have nothing but respect, affection and love for CNN. He said his "Sieg Heil!" tweet was not an endorsement of Nazism or fascist tactics, but was meant to mock Media Matters and its use of boycotts of advertisers of conservative voices such as Sean Hannity, which Lord equated with fascism. Lord said in a telephone interview Thursday night that he respected CNN and its journalists, but fundamentally disagreed with the network's decision to fire him. CNN fired conservative commentator Jeffrey Lord on Thursday after he tweeted a Nazi salute at a critic.Ī network spokesperson confirmed that Lord was no longer with the network and said "Nazi salutes are indefensible." The statement came hours after Lord tweeted the Nazi slogan "Sieg Heil!" at the head of a liberal advocacy group, Media Matters for America.