White House Blasts CBS News Over Hiring of Ex‑Liz Cheney Communications Adviser
Axios reports that White House officials are "outraged" by CBS News’ decision to hire Jeremy Adler, a former senior communications adviser and deputy chief of staff to ex‑Rep. Liz Cheney, to its communications team. An unnamed White House official told Axios the move is "insanity," calling Adler "Liz Cheney’s flack who has worked to jail President Trump" and questioning what new CBS News editor‑in‑chief Bari Weiss is "thinking." The conflict comes after President Trump sued CBS for $20 billion in 2024 and later settled for $16 million, and as the network undergoes turbulence under new ownership, with several high‑profile journalists leaving and others, like Gayle King, renewing contracts. Adler previously worked for GOP groups including America Rising and Marco Rubio’s 2016 presidential campaign before joining a private consulting firm, underscoring that the dispute is about his Cheney ties and Jan. 6 role rather than partisan affiliation alone. The episode highlights the Trump White House’s broader pressure campaign on individual media outlets and newsroom staffing decisions, raising fresh questions about how independent networks can remain while covering a president openly hostile to perceived critics.
📌 Key Facts
- CBS News has hired Jeremy Adler, former deputy chief of staff and senior communications adviser to Rep. Liz Cheney, to its communications team.
- An unnamed White House official told Axios the hire is "insanity" and attacked Adler as someone who "has worked to jail President Trump," directly criticizing CBS and editor‑in‑chief Bari Weiss.
- The dispute follows Trump’s 2024 $20 billion lawsuit against CBS, which was settled for $16 million last year, and comes amid significant personnel changes at the network under new ownership.
📊 Relevant Data
Of the 716 individuals charged in connection with the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot as of July 2023, 92% were White, compared to non-Hispanic Whites comprising approximately 59% of the U.S. population in 2023.
A Demographic and Legal Profile of January 6 Prosecutions — Seton Hall University School of Law
The 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act abolished national origins quotas, leading to immigrants and their descendants accounting for 55% of U.S. population growth from 1965 to 2015, contributing to a decline in the non-Hispanic White share from 84% in 1965 to about 59% by 2020.
Modern Immigration Wave Brings 59 Million to U.S. — Pew Research Center
As of January 2025, the foreign-born share of the U.S. population reached an all-time high of 15.2%, largely driven by post-1965 immigration policies, compared to less than 5% in 1970.
Foreign-Born Number and Share of U.S. Population at All-Time Highs in January 2025 — Center for Immigration Studies
📰 Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time