Jeffrey Lord Out as CNN Contributor After 'Indefensible' Tweet

CNN has cut ties with one of its most prominent conservative voices.

Jeffrey Lord is out as an on-air contributor for the network after a controversial tweet of his went viral on Thursday. In a heated Twitter exchange with Media Matters for America president Angelo Carusone, Lord tweeted the Nazi phrase “Sieg Heil!” while accusing Carusone of using fascist tactics to suppress right-wing voices.

“Nazi salutes are indefensible,” a CNN spokesperson said in a statement. “Jeffrey Lord is no longer with the network.”

A conservative columnist for The American Spectator, Lord had been a frequent on-air presence on CNN during the 2016 election, often defending the actions of then-candidate Donald Trump. He joined the network in August 2015.

CNN has been swinging the ax on both sides of the political spectrum, though: They cut ties with Believer host Reza Aslan in June after he tweeted a number of vulgar insults directed at President Trump, and they also fired comedian Kathy Griffin from their New Year’s Eve coverage after a controversial photo shoot where she held a fake severed head intended to look like Trump’s.