CNN dismisses Tucker Carlson's claim that management is directing hosts to discredit former DNC chair Donna Brazile

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November 7, 2017 7:36 PM

Tucker Carlson claimed that CNN was trying to intentionally discredit Donna Brazile.

Fox News host Tucker Carlson claimed that CNN was trying to intentionally discredit former Democratic National Committee chair Donna Brazile.
CNN said Carlson's claim was untrue.

CNN responded to Fox News host Tucker Carlson's claim that management at the cable network ordered staff to discredit former Democratic National Committee interim chair Donna Brazile.

During his show on Monday, Fox News host Carlson reported that "highly informed" sources said that "top management at CNN directed its employees to undermine Brazile's credibility" in the run-up to the release of Brazile's new tell-all 2016 campaign memoir.

"Anchors and producers were vocally offended by her attacks on their friends, the Clintons," Carlson said. "If you've been watching that channel, you may have noticed CNN's anchors suggesting that Donna Brazile cannot be trusted, precisely because she took part in efforts to break the primaries for Clinton."

Carlson played clips of hosts Anderson Cooper and host Brooke Baldwin, who had both pointed out on recent shows that Brazile made false statements about giving Hillary Clinton's campaign questions before a CNN town hall.

"It's unbelievable. In retrospect they're so obviously talking points," Carlson said, laughing.

In a statement provided to Business Insider, CNN denied that management ordered hosts to discredit Brazile.

"Any suggestion that CNN has ordered its employees to undermine Donna Brazile is false," a network spokesperson said.

But others at the network like anchor Jake Tapper went further.

Literally no one at CNN has... @ Jake Tapper

Late on Tuesday, Carlson fired back, saying a "very good source" told him CNN head Jeff Zucker was "fuming and enraged" about Brazile's book, and said CNN's news shows should demonstrate that she's a "liar."

"That's all factual. We await CNN's denial of any of it," Carlson said.

Brazile has been condemned by many former Clinton campaign staffers and lionized by the right in recent days for her criticism of the Clinton campaign and former DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schutlz.

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway defended her during a contentious interview with CNN's Brian Stelter, while right-wing conspiracy theorists have embraced her book.

For her part, Brazile has brushed off criticism of her book.

"For those telling me to shut up, they told Hillary that a couple months ago. You know what I tell them? Go to hell," Brazile said during an interview on ABC on Sunday. "I'm going to tell my story."

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