CNN has denied Stephen Miller’s accusations that he was banned from appearing on the network.
The network told the New York Post in a statement on Thursday that the top White House aide’s claims were untrue and that it welcomes Trump administration officials to appear on its broadcasts.
“As a news organization, we make editorial decisions about the stories we cover and when, and that depends on the news priorities of the day,” a CNN spokesperson told the outlet. “We look forward to having Stephen on again in the future as the news warrants.”
Miller, deputy chief of staff and homeland security adviser for the Trump administration, told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Wednesday that he was not allowed on CNN, which he said runs “one fake news hit piece after another.”
“The White House said, ‘Stephen is available to discuss any topic with any host at any time. As far as you’re concerned, Stephen has no scheduling conflicts at all. He will make himself available from the first hour of air to the last hour of air on any subject,’” Miller said on Hannity Wednesday night.
“And you know what? CNN’s response was, ‘We will not take him, period—for any show, on any topic,’” he added, noting that his claims were “a completely true story.”
President Donald Trump’s disdain for CNN is no secret.
The president told reporters at the White House on Wednesday that he would like to see the network sold, following news of its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, being sought for purchase by multiple bidders, including Netflix and Paramount Skydance.
“I think the people that have run CNN for the last long period of time are a disgrace. I think it’s imperative that CNN be sold,” Trump said.
“I don’t think they should be entrusted with running CNN any longer,” he added. “So I think any deal should—it should be guaranteed and certain that CNN is part of it or sold separately.”
Warner Bros. Discovery reached an agreement with Netflix on Friday for the streaming giant’s $83.7 billion acquisition of the conglomerate’s studio, streaming, and gaming properties.
Paramount Skydance, owned by Trump suck-up media mogul David Ellison, launched a hostile takeover bid valued at $108.4 billion in response to the deal.
Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, is a key financial backer in Paramount’s bid for total ownership of Warner Bros. Discovery and its subsidiaries, including CNN.
Ellison warned Trump administration officials that Netflix’s acquisition of the media conglomerate would hurt competition in the streaming sector, and that, if Paramount succeeds, he would make changes to CNN.
Since the 42-year-old CEO’s $8 billion merger of Paramount with his company Skydance in August, he has already made significant changes to Paramount’s subsidiary CBS News.
His installation of conservative opinion editor Bari Weiss as the network’s editor-in-chief served as a win for an administration seeking to platform right-wing voices across major news broadcasters.
Ellison sent a letter to Warner Bros. shareholders on Wednesday, begging them to tender their shares to make Paramount’s takeover bid easier.
”I am passionate and dedicated to this pursuit, committed to putting my own money in, and that is why I am writing to you today," he wrote.
”IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO REALIZE THE BENEFITS OF PARAMOUNT’S PROPOSAL IF YOU CHOOSE TO ACT NOW AND TENDER YOUR SHARES," Ellison added in all caps.
