After eight years with CNN, Chief National Security Correspondent Alex Marquardt has parted ways with the network—not on the best of terms. His departure follows CNN’s high-profile defamation loss to U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young, a case that cost the network $5 million in damages and led to public embarrassment over the conduct and intent behind its reporting.
At the center of the controversy was a 2021 report aired on The Lead with Jake Tapper during the Biden administration’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. The report, presented by Marquardt, alleged that desperate Afghans trying to flee the Taliban were being exploited by a so-called black market of private contractors charging exorbitant fees—with Zachary Young’s name and image featured prominently.
The report referenced a LinkedIn post from Young and suggested he was charging people $10,000 for evacuations. But during the trial, Young testified he never accepted money from refugees themselves, relying instead on sponsorships from corporations and non-profits. In short, he was trying to help—not profit. The jury agreed.
Some personal news: I’m leaving CNN after 8 terrific years. Tough to say goodbye but it’s been an honor to work among the very best in the business. Profound thank you to my comrades on the National Security team & the phenomenal teammates I’ve worked with in the US and abroad.
— Alex Marquardt (@MarquardtA) June 2, 2025
What likely sealed the jury’s decision was a string of damning text messages between Marquardt and his team. In one, Marquardt bluntly said, “We’re gonna nail this Zachary Young mf**ker.” The messages, which the jury reviewed, exposed an apparent vendetta-like tone within CNN’s reporting process and raised serious questions about journalistic integrity.
Following the lawsuit, CNN issued a formal retraction and apology—a move Marquardt openly questioned. “I did not necessarily agree with the outlet issuing an apology and did not believe the report was an error,” he told reporters after the trial. That statement didn’t sit well with the jury—or CNN’s leadership.
One juror told reporters, “[Marquardt] was arrogant. He acted as though he really didn’t need to be there.” She went on to say his lack of remorse was “obvious to the entire jury” and made it clear he was “out to get” Young.
While Marquardt took to social media to announce he was leaving after “eight terrific years,” former CNN correspondent Oliver Darcy later revealed that Marquardt had been “dismissed” over “editorial differences.” That euphemism likely masks a deeper fracture between the correspondent and his network in the wake of the court ruling.
CNN has not officially commented on the circumstances of Marquardt’s exit, but the implications are clear. A correspondent defying his own network’s public apology after a multi-million-dollar legal loss wasn’t going to remain a tenable situation.
