In an article in The Washington Post, politics and media reporter Callum Borchers said recently fired Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, who was recently hired as a political contributor to CNN, “has not yet transitioned out of his role as a Trump employee.” According to Borchers, “Lewandowski's failure to contribute meaningful insight and analysis — even from a pro-Trump perspective” — in his appearances on CNN “makes his performances truly underwhelming,” and CNN’s “hosts have appeared frustrated, at times, by their inability to get anything useful out of Lewandowski.”

CNN has faced criticism and “ethical questions” from numerous media experts and analysts. Even Fox News media analyst Howard Kurtz called CNN’s choice to bring Lewandowski on as political contributor “a sad move” that doesn’t help “CNN’s credibility in covering Donald Trump.” Moreover, Lewandowski recently lost a book deal with publishing company HarperCollins because of “concerns about Lewandowski’s nondisclosure agreement” with the Trump campaign, a document CNN had reported on prior to hiring Lewandowski.

Now, in an article titled “Corey Lewandowski’s first week on CNN was just as bad as everyone expected,” Borchers wrote that in his appearances on CNN, Lewandowski often changed “the subject to predetermined talking points” and that he “remains prone to spouting fiction and doesn't stay on-topic, grinding segments to a halt as CNN hosts have to correct his misinformation or interject to steer the conversation back to the point.” From The Washington Post’s July 1 article (emphasis original):

A week isn't very long to learn a new job, so it's possible Corey Lewandowski will improve in his role as a CNN commentator. But so far, Donald Trump's recently fired campaign manager is just plain bad — and not only for the reasons many anticipated.

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Yet it is Lewandowski's failure to contribute meaningful insight and analysis — even from a pro-Trump perspective — that makes his performances truly underwhelming. Here's a representative exchange from “New Day” in which host Alisyn Camerota asked Lewandowski and former New York City Council speaker Christine Quinn, a Hillary Clinton supporter, about Trump's recent trip to Scotland.

[...]

Lewandowski deflected and pivoted to other subjects, knocking Clinton for a campaign ad and praising Trump for supporting his son's work on a golf course project. By the end, he had somehow invented a scenario in which the question was about criticism of Trump, rather than criticism by Trump.

This is what a spokesman might do — changing the subject to predetermined talking points. But Lewandowski doesn't work for Trump anymore; he works for CNN. He needs to at least talk about whatever CNN wants to talk about and not try to hijack the conversation. His employer asked him a question and wanted his analysis of it, and he didn't deliver.

The cable channel's hosts have appeared frustrated, at times, by their inability to get anything useful out of Lewandowski.

[...]

For the most part, however, Lewandowski is bad television. He remains prone to spouting fiction and doesn't stay on-topic, grinding segments to a halt as CNN hosts have to correct his misinformation or interject to steer the conversation back to the point.



In short, Lewandowski has not yet transitioned out of his role as a Trump employee, and it has already reportedly cost him one post-campaign payday. Politico reported this week that HarperCollins rescinded a $1.2 million book offer over concerns that Lewandowski would not provide much insight, partly because of his nondisclosure agreement and partly because he was fired more than four months before Election Day.



CNN is more willing to give Lewandowski a shot. But right now, he's not enhancing their coverage in the least.