Corey Lewandowski has been fired. Again.
Three sources with knowledge of the situation tell The Daily Beast that the former Trump campaign manager and current informal adviser to the president has been let go from One America News Network, a pro-Trump cable channel pitching itself as an aspiring Fox News.
Lewandowski angered OANN leadership with his frequent appearances on Fox and other competitors, which one former OANN employee described as âa big no-noâ with the channelâs leadership. Senior staff at the network knew it was likely that Lewandowski would do other network appearances, but things came to a head when it began to appear that Lewandowski was giving more attention to competitors than his employer.
Robert Herring, One Americaâs chief executive, declined to comment directly on Lewandowskiâs status with the channel save to note that the one-time Trump campaign manager was spending an inordinate amount of time on-air with OANNâs competitors. Asked directly if he had any reason to deny The Daily Beastâs reporting, Herring replied: âI have none whatsoever.â
Lewandowski joined OANN in January, shortly before Trumpâs inauguration, to provide political analysis and an insiderâs perspective on Team Trump. The network was a somewhat surprising choice. Launched in 2013, OANN has attempted to position itself as a mini-Fox Newsârunning straight-news reports alongside sharply right-wing commentary. But as of 2015, the channel was available in just 15 million of 100 million available American homes.
OANNâs biggest claim to fame had been launching the career of one of the most prominent conservative firebrands to come out of the Trump era: Tomi Lahren. Lewandowksiâs inclusion gave it an additional boost as it tried to break through among the more established cable mainstays.
âWe got a lot of help from [Corey] in the past, and he seems like very nice guy and very knowledgeable,â Herring told the Beast back in January. âYou know, we're a growing network, and we saw a chance when he quit CNN and we just grabbed it.â
In addition to the cable news gig, Lewandowski also dabbled in DC influence peddling. He co-founded a pro-Trump lobbying firm, Avenue Strategies, with the implicit promise that he would be able to take advantage of his close ties to the White Houseâties that proved of little value to the firmâs clients, as The Daily Beast reported.
He left the firm in early May after disagreements over what he described as the unauthorized use of his name in professional communications. His former colleagues, however, describe the split as amicable and mutual.
Lewandowski did not respond to multiple requests for comment.