CNN chief national security correspondent Alex Marquardt has exited the cable news network after nearly a decade covering the beat.
Marquardt joined CNN in 2017 after previously working as a foreign correspondent at ABC News. His hiring at CNN marked a return to the network after previously working there from 2007 until 2009. He was promoted to the role of chief national security correspondent at the network in 2023.
In a post to social media, Marquardt revealed the news of his departure.
“Some personal news: I’m leaving CNN after 8 terrific years,” Marquardt wrote. “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.”
It was not a completely unexpected departure. Earlier this year, CNN settled a defamation lawsuit over a story Alex Marquardt reported in 2021 that alleged former CIA operative Zachary Young had charged Afghan citizens thousands of dollars to be evacuated from the country as part of a “black market” operation.
Young argued the reporting — which wasn’t limited strictly to Marquardt — damaged his reputation and ability to earn an income. A jury awarded the Florida native a $5 million judgment after finding that CNN did defame him.
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