After apparently being passed up by Uber, former White House press secretary Jay Carney will join CNN as a political commentator and, likely, its resident Obama defender.
The network announced Wednesday that Carney would take the job. Appropriately, he starts Wednesday evening as President Obama delivers a televised address on his strategy to combat ISIS.
“Jay’s unique experience as both a journalist and a White House press secretary make him an invaluable voice for the network as we cover the final two years of the Obama Administration and look ahead to the coming campaigns,” explained CNN senior vice president and Washington bureau chief Sam Feist. “We’re fortunate to have Jay on our air tonight to provide analysis and insight surrounding the president’s address to the nation.”
Carney will voice his opinions on multiple topics, including of course “special political programming” like Obama’s speech Wednesday night.
“I’m thrilled to be joining CNN at a time when there is so much happening in the nation and the world,” Carney said of his new job.
Before working as press secretary under the Obama administration, Carney held the job of communications director to the vice president from 2009 to 2011. He famously exited his press secretary post in May of this year amid the Veterans Affairs scandal and was replaced by Josh Earnest.
Prior to joining the White House, Carney exercised his journalistic talents at TIME Magazine for 20 years as Moscow correspondent, White House correspondent and later Washington bureau chief.
