CNN White House correspondent John Harwood announced Friday that he is leaving the network.
“Personal news: today’s my last day at CNN,” Harwood wrote on Twitter Friday afternoon. “Proud of the work,” he added, expressing gratitude to his colleagues.
It is unclear why the 65-year-old veteran journalist made the move.
Harwood appeared on CNN in the 10 a.m. hour, recapping President Joe Biden’s fiery speech Thursday night, according to Deadline. Speaking to a crowd of about 300 invited guests, the president criticized “MAGA Republicans” who don’t “respect the Constitution” and don’t “believe in the rule of law.”
“The core point [Biden] made in that political speech about the threat to democracy is true. Now that is something that is not easy for us as journalists to say,” Harwood said Friday morning from the White House lawn. “The Republican party right now is led by a dishonest demagogue,” he added.
At noon, Harwood posted the tweet announcing his departure.
He didn’t provide any details, but wrote that he is looking forward “to figuring out what’s next.”
A CNN spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Harwood became known for his sharp criticism of former President Donald Trump.
Late Thursday night, shortly after Biden’s speech, Harwood tweeted that “Biden’s assertion that Trump and extremist Republicans pose a threat to American democracy is, undeniably, true.”
Harwood joined CNN in January 2020 after working as CNBC’s chief White House correspondent from 2006 to 2019.
“I’ve been lucky to serve the best in American media,” he tweeted Friday, listing some of the outlets where he worked prior to joining CNN: The St. Petersburg Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and “the NBC family.”
Harwood is the latest high-profile name to leave CNN as new boss Chris Licht begins to implement changes to the 42-year-old network.
Early last month CNN parted ways with media reporter and “Reliable Sources” host Brian Stelter.
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