Paris Dennard was a conservative pundit for CNN until 2018 when it was revealed he had been fired at his previous job for sexual harassment, including gesturing as though unzipping his pants and masturbating. He was then hired by the RNC as a national spokesperson until he was fired in August 2022 for unknown reasons.
Trump thought Dennard was “wonderful,” probably because he argued Trump’s past sex “indiscretions” shouldn’t have any bearing on his presidency. He also defended Trump’s reference to “shithole” nations.
Dennard was active in GOP politics since his youth, speaking at the national convention when he was just a teenager. He worked for the RNC, then for the Bush Administration, and had an appointment in the Trump Administration. When the Washington Post published a story about his firing at Arizona State University for sexual harassment, he was suspended and eventually fired by CNN.
ASU fired him for several incidents of sexual harassment which he did not dispute, though he claimed he was just joking. He sued ASU because the reason for his firing was leaked to the press.
- FOX News: Conservative CNN pundit suspended amid revelations of sexual misconduct allegations from 2014
- Washington Post: Trump called this White House defender ‘wonderful.’ He was fired from his previous job for alleged sexual harassment.
- Politico: The man selling GOP politics to Black America
- Politico: RNC fires national spokesman
- Academic Sexual Misconduct Database: Arizona State University
Arizona Republic
Phoenix, Arizona · Wednesday, April 03, 2019