A White House official on Wednesday criticized CBS over its hiring of Jeremy Adler, a communications executive who previously worked for former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., calling the decision "insanity" in remarks that highlight tensions between allies of President Donald Trump and major media organizations.
"The idea CBS would hire Liz Cheney's flack who has worked to jail President Trump and make it impossible for anybody who supported the president to get hired is insanity," the White House official told Axios.
"What the hell is Bari Weiss thinking?"
Adler previously served as a communications aide to Cheney, who became one of Trump's most prominent critics within the GOP and played a leading role in the congressional investigation of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
CBS recently hired Adler for a communications role connected to a new media venture involving journalist Bari Weiss.
Weiss, a former New York Times opinion editor, was appointed editor-in-chief of CBS News last October after Paramount acquired her media company, The Free Press, for $150 million.
The White House official framed hiring Adler as evidence that media institutions remain hostile toward Trump and his supporters, arguing that bringing on a former Cheney aide signals bias against the president's political movement.
Cheney, once a member of the House Republican leadership, broke with Trump after the 2020 election and later served as vice chair of the House committee that investigated the events of Jan. 6.
She supported investigations of Trump's efforts to challenge the election results and backed legal accountability related to those efforts.
Her stance led to her removal from Republican leadership and ultimately contributed to her losing the 2022 Republican primary in Wyoming.
Allies of Trump have frequently accused Cheney and others involved in the Jan. 6 investigation of attempting to criminalize political opposition.
The White House official echoed that sentiment in the remarks to Axios, saying the decision to hire Adler reflects efforts to sideline Trump supporters.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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