Pro-Trump pundit Paris Dennard lashes out at former network CNN: ‘I will not be silenced’
Pro-Trump pundit Paris Dennard called his suspension from CNN “a political hit job” because of his race in a Breitbart piece published Monday as he officially parted ways with the network.
CNN suspended Dennard in August after a Washington Post story alleged he had sexually harassed women by making inappropriate comments and gestures while working at Arizona State University in 2014.
Dennard was originally signed to a one-year contract by CNN in November 2017. A CNN spokesperson confirmed to several outlets that Dennard’s contract expired last month and that “he is no longer with the network.”
Dennard, 36, claims in Breitbart that a heated segment with former CIA official Phil Mudd, also a CNN contributor, had gone viral to the point it got the attention of President Trump, who expressed support for Dennard on Twitter.
Dennard wrote that the segment and the president’s reaction to it “set in motion a coordinated attempt by faceless adversaries to destroy me personally and professionally.”
“In an August CNN appearance, a former CIA official, with whom I had once worked in my former job, became highly upset with me while discussing President Donald Trump’s revocation of the security clearance of former intelligence officials,” Dennard recounts. “The segment went viral, even gaining the attention of President Trump, who tweeted about me, saying I had verbally ‘destroyed’ the official with my on-air points. That set in motion a coordinated attempt by faceless adversaries to destroy me personally and professionally.”
“Just watched former Intelligence Official Phillip Mudd become totally unglued and weird while debating wonderful [Paris Dennard] over [former CIA Director John] Brennan’s Security Clearance. Dennard destroyed him but Mudd is in no mental condition to have such a Clearance. Should be REVOKED?” asked the president to his more than 56 million followers.
Just watched former Intelligence Official Phillip Mudd become totally unglued and weird while debating wonderful @PARISDENNARD over Brennan’s Security Clearance. Dennard destroyed him but Mudd is in no mental condition to have such a Clearance. Should be REVOKED? @seanhannity
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 21, 2018
“CNN’s own ‘investigation’ could not substantiate the Post‘s claims,” according to Dennard. “But what was even more egregious than the Post‘s behavior was CNN’s blatantly disparate treatment of their only paid black, Republican, Trump-supporting political commentator — compared to a host of others who have never been immediately suspended and denied an opportunity to be booked on their network.”
“I will not be silenced, no matter what CNN, the Washington Post, or any other fake news story tries to imply through their own prejudiced actions,” Dennard concluded in his Breitbart piece, which included his staunch denials of sexual harassment claims against him.
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