John King exits CNN’s ‘Inside Politics’ for new role. Dana Bash will succeed him
John King, CNN’s man at the magic wall, is leaving his daily program “Inside Politics” for a new role at the network.
CNN announced Thursday that King’s daily program will be taken over by Dana Bash, a chief political correspondent who also co-anchors the Sunday program “State of the Union.” Bash will retain her Sunday role.
King and Bash are ex-spouses. They were married from 2008 to 2012 and have a son.
King, 59, has anchored “Inside Politics” since 2014. He is best known to viewers for maneuvering the touch-screen electoral map known as the “magic wall” during CNN’s election coverage.
The handoff of “Inside Politics” is the latest tweak to the CNN lineup under chairman Chris Licht. The network recently revamped its daytime lineup with “CNN News Central.”
The network on Monday cut ties with “CNN This Morning” co-host Don Lemon, who was fired after a 17-year run at the network.
CNN has been in a state of turmoil over the past year, facing budget cuts and declining profits as its ratings have declined.
King will lead a new reporting project focused on voters in key battleground states as the 2024 presidential campaign cycle gets underway.
Licht is adding Bill Maher on Friday nights, and that may not be the only comic coming to CNN. But newsgathering is still the priority.
The assignment will have King follow the voters in those states, getting their views on politicians and issues throughout the election cycle.
“This is my ‘back to the future’ dream assignment,” King said in a statement. “It is my tenth presidential cycle and, given the stakes, I felt it was time to get back to my roots reporting across the country.”
Star correspondent Sara Sidner joins “CNN News Central,” the network’s attempt to showcase its journalism bona fides to an influential audience.
King will remain a part of CNN’s live election and special coverage.
Bash, 51, has spent her 30-year career at CNN as a producer, correspondent and anchor. She was a co-moderator of a 2019 Democratic presidential primary debate.
“John built an extraordinary show that has attracted a loyal audience of political junkies, and I am looking forward to leading its next chapter,” Bash said in a statement.
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