CNN contributor spent years praising Hitler before being fired
Thomas McDonald
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CNN received backlash for having a contributor who posted multiple pro-Hitler tweets and other anti-Semitic statements.
“The only reason I am supporting Germany in the finals – Hitler was a German and he did good with those Jews!” Adeel Raja wrote during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Raja’s last piece with CNN was published in Sept. of 2020. He still lists his affiliation with the network on his LinkedIn account.
The following day he tweeted “Hail Hitler!”
Raja’s LinkedIn profile says he has been a CNN freelance contributor since 2013 until present. He also is the Executive Producer at ARY News since 2014.
Multiple screenshots of now deleted tweets have spread on Twitter.
A CNN spokesman told the Washington Examiner that he had “never heard of” Raja, but said he would no never be allowed to work for CNN in the future.
“Adeel Raja has never been a CNN employee. As a freelancer, his reporting contributed to some newsgathering efforts from Islamabad,” Matt Dornic said in an email. “However, in light of these abhorrent statements, he will not be working with CNN again in any capacity.”
Raja’s anti-Semitic comments come as escalating tensions between Israel and Palestine have created the most violence in the region in years.
Over 50 Palestinian children and 33 women were killed on Sunday during airstrikes that flattened three buildings in Gaza. It’s estimated that over 188 Palestinians have been killed so far in the area. At least eight Israelis have been killed, including a five-year-old and a soldier. Hundreds of civilian casualties have been reported since Sunday, as thousands of rockets have been fired.
“In response to HUNDREDS of rockets in the last 24 hours, the IDF has struck a number of significant terror targets and terror operatives across the Gaza Strip, marking our largest strike since 2014,” the Israeli Defense Forces Tweeted. “We are currently striking more terror targets in Gaza.”
“We’ll do whatever it takes to restore order and quiet, and the security of our people and deterrence,” Netanyahu said. “We’re trying to degrade Hamas’ terrorist abilities and to degrade their will to do this again.”