Veteran journalist Chris Wallace is leaving CNN after three years at the network, he announced Monday.
Speaking to The Daily Beast, Wallace said he will be looking to move to an independent platform that does either streaming or podcasting.
“This is the first time in 55 years I’ve been between jobs. I am actually excited and liberated by that,” he said.
After joining CNN in 2021, Wallace was hosting the interview show Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? and anchoring The Chris Wallace Show.
“Chris Wallace is one of the most respected political journalists in the news business with a unique track record across radio, print, broadcast television, cable television and streaming,” CNN CEO Mark Thompson said. “We want to thank him for the dedication and wisdom he’s brought to all his work at CNN and to wish him the very best for the future.”
However, Oliver Darcy reported late Monday that Wallace’s decision shocked CNN staffers. Wallace’s $8 million salary was going to be cut, which did not sit well with the 77-year-old journalist.
Wallace began his career as a White House correspondent at NBC News and did some anchoring on weekend editions of the NBC Nightly News and hosting Meet the Press in the 1980s. He then joined Fox News in 2003, where he would remain for 18 years.
