Ex-Trump official Mick Mulvaney was hired after CBS News boss said they need to hire more Republicans to prepare for a “likely” Democratic midterm wipeout

The Washington Post

“If you look at some of the people that we’ve been hiring on a contributor basis, being able to make sure that we are getting access to both sides of the aisle is a priority because we know the Republicans are going to take over, most likely, in the midterms,” CBS News’ co-president Neeraj Khemlani told the staff of CBS Mornings, according to a recording of his comments obtained by The Washington Post. “A lot of the people that we’re bringing in are helping us in terms of access to that side of the equation.” According to The Washington Post's Jeremy Barr, "the reaction from CBS News employees to Mulvaney’s hiring was as chilly as the reaction on social media, where many journalists and political commentators suggested that the network was jeopardizing its long history of journalistic excellence." One employee said the main concern was with the inaccuracies of Mulvaney's past comments. Meanwhile, CBS News was criticized for neglecting to mention Mulvaney's Trump administration past in asking him to weigh in on Biden's budget. Following the criticism, Barr reports the standards department sent around an internal note reminding staffers that “as we introduce these folks, we must always identify relevant background and biographical information,” specifically referencing the administration a guest worked for as a necessary disclosure.