CNN ‘death spiral' caused by ‘obsession' with Trump-Russia investigation, ex-anchor says

New York Post

5 days ago

A former CNN anchor said that the network's incessant coverage of the Russia collusion investigation during President Trump's first term in office helped accelerate its 'death spiral' which cost the outlet '30, 40% of the country.'
Dave Briggs, the former co-host of CNN's 'Early Start' from 2017 until 2019, said on a podcast that the network alienated much of middle America with its nonstop focus on the probe into whether the Russians helped Trump defeat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.
He said he clashed with his then-bosses over the network's strategy.
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4 Dave Briggs, the former co-host of CNN's 'Early Start' from 2017 until 2019, said on a podcast that the network alienated much of middle America.
Sanity with Alisyn & Dave / YouTube
'Every day I came in and argued with the powers that be about obsessing over the Russia investigation when no one I know off of the East Coast gave a damn how that investigation ended,' Briggs told former CNN colleague Alisyn Camerota and guest Dylan Byers on the 'Sanity with Alisyn & Dave' podcast on Monday.
'And to me, that's when they lost 30, 40% of the country, and I think the ratings kind of backed that up.'
Briggs added that 'it was that obsession' that turned off viewers.
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'When I would talk to my friends across the country, and I mean not on the East Coast, outside this bubble in which we all exist — they would always say to me, 'I just want to know what the hell else is going on in the world',' Briggs said.
'That's what they would say to me every day, and that's what led them away from CNN.'
A CNN source told The Post: 'It's disappointing to see people speak so naively about media and where they used to work, all in an effort to profit.'
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4 Briggs criticized his former network's 'obsession' with the Russia investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller (above).
Stefani Reynolds – CNP
In 2017, Special Counsel Robert Mueller launched an investigation which examined Russian interference in the 2016 US election, links between the Trump campaign and Russia and possible obstruction of justice by Trump.
It concluded that Russia interfered in the election in a 'sweeping and systematic fashion' to help Trump, but did not find sufficient evidence to charge the campaign with criminal conspiracy.
At the time, CNN was run by Jeff Zucker, who oversaw a dramatic ratings boom during Trump's first term, with 2017 marking its most-watched year ever and viewership remaining strong through the 2020 election.
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In early 2021, however, ratings dropped sharply after Trump left office as primetime viewership fell by 36% within weeks.
4 CNN at the time was led by Jeff Zucker, who oversaw a ratings boom during President Trump's first term in office.
Annie Wermiel/NY Post
A year later, Zucker resigned as president of CNN after failing to disclose a romantic relationship with CNN executive Allison Gollust, violating company policy.
The ratings decline worsened after Trump's 2024 re-election.
By late 2024, CNN's primetime audience dropped to under 420,000 viewers, the lowest in nearly 30 years.
As of May 2025, the network was averaging just 405,000 viewers in primetime, with only 74,000 in the key 25–54 demographic.
CNN is undergoing major restructuring as it faces historic ratings lows, declining revenue and a looming ownership change.
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In early 2025, the network laid off 6% of its workforce and is now preparing deeper cost-cutting measures, including salary reductions and tighter expense policies.
CEO Mark Thompson is shifting focus toward a $70 million investment in digital, aiming for $1 billion in revenue by 2030.
4 Mueller's investigation found insufficient evidence to charge President Trump's campaign.
AP
Meanwhile, staff anxiety has intensified ahead of CNN's spin-off from Warner Bros. Discovery into a new unit called Global Networks, led by cost-cutter Gunnar Wiedenfels.
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With cable viewership shrinking industry-wide, CNN's future remains uncertain as it attempts to reinvent itself for the streaming era.
The Post has sought comment from CNN and Zucker.