On Saturday, Congressman Ken Buck (R-CO) addressed a newspaper report — or allegations, in many conservative spheres — of him vying for a position at CNN.
“No, I’m not trying to get hired by CNN,” said Buck in response to a question on KOA’s Mandy Connell Show. “It was an anonymous source in leadership that said that I was trying to get hired by CNN. And I think that’s a way of trying to dismiss my views as somehow appealing to an organization that is sort of center-left as opposed to Fox News on the center right. But no, I am not applying to or trying to get hired by CNN or any other news organization at this time. I have my hands full while trying to work with others to keep this government funded.”
Buck, who was one of eight House Republicans who voted to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), has been under fire from both national and local GOP figures for not supporting initiatives such as the Biden impeachment inquiry.
The reports of Buck seeking to join a major media outlet were first circulated by the New York Post. Citing a phone call with Buck, the Post alleges that Buck said, “I am interested in talking to folks at CNN and other news organizations,” yet also mentions that Buck called back later to clarify that he was interested in a wide range of news outlets.
Asked by Connell about how such rumors originated, Buck replied, “You know, I have talked to all news organizations about how do we get our message out better. I’ve sat down with executives at Fox and Newsmax and CNN and NBC and talked to them about that. And I have talked to different folks about when I decide to retire, how do I look at news media and moving on? But I have not applied for and I have not received offers and I’m not in any kind of negotiation.”
