Former CNN correspondent Brian Stelter, discredited and dismissed by CNN’s former CEO for a series of poorly substantiated claims, has made salacious claims about a Fox News host in his new book.
Stelter’s target was Jeanine Pirro. Stelter claims the former judge was demoted by Fox and called a “reckless maniac” by her executive producer.
According to Mediaite, a preview of the upcoming book, “Network of Lies: The Epic Saga of Fox News, Donald Trump, and the Battle for American Democracy,” was shared with the Daily Beast’s newsletter Confider on Monday.
The Confider newsletter highlighted Stelter’s account of Pirro’s turbulent relationship with decision-makers at Fox News.
Stelter claims Pirro’s move to co-host “The Five,” a top-rated show, was a reprimand and demotion. The former CNN host cites the cancellation of the Fox show “Justice with Judge Jeanine” to substantiate his claim.
The book claims the “Justice with Judge Jeanine” show was a key propagator of false claims regarding the results of the 2020 election and integrity issues related to Dominion Voting Systems.
Reportedly, two anonymous sources told Stelter that “Pirro was a problem” and that she “clashed with Fox execs who’d grown tired of her histrionic shenanigans” and her “stubborn, slavish Trumpiness.”
Without documentation, Stelter writes that “nobody wanted to deal with her” so she was moved to “The Five” where she could no longer monologue or “choose her own guests,” according to Mediaite.
Notably, Pirro’s “demotion” to “The Five” has resulted in a significant increase in weekly viewers.
Attempting to address how this truism undermines his claims, Stelter wrote: “It was pointed out to me that “The Five” is not the cushiest job for a seventy-something former prosecutor to hold” and that the switch up made it easier for “the managers and lawyers.”
Mediaite reported that Stelter’s claims are unconvincing. The outlet noted, “A source with knowledge of the matter told Mediaite that demotion is completely inaccurate,” adding, “You don’t get demoted to the number one show in cable news that’s on 5 nights a week.”
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