Starting in the early 1980s, Rick Sanchez worked for news stations across the country, and in 2004, the anchor made CNN his home, reporting the news in multiple capacities and hosting “Rick’s List.” In 2010, however, CNN severed ties with Sanchez after he made antisemitic comments. Per The New York Times, during a radio interview, Sanchez called political commentator Jon Stewart a bigot and said, “I’m telling you that everybody that runs CNN is a lot like Stewart.”
The comments must not have sat well with CNN executives, and Sanchez was subsequently fired. Even so, the network released a polite statement after Sanchez’s exit: “Rick Sanchez is no longer with the company. We thank Rick for his years of service and we wish him well.”
Soon after his firing, Sanchez spoke about it on “Today.” He explained, “My daughter had a softball game I desperately wanted to go to, and I was a little impatient.” He added, “I said some things I shouldn’t have said. They were wrong. Not only were they wrong, they were offensive.” Over 10 years after his firing, Sanchez returned to media with a new project. In May 2022, his podcast “The Rick Sanchez Podcast” premiered, and he’s released multiple new episodes per week since.