Alex Marquardt, a former CNN correspondent, has taken on a new role at Al Jazeera English, joining the network several months after his departure from CNN. His new position includes anchoring coverage of America's 250th anniversary and hosting the Washington-based daily news program "This is America."
Marquardt's exit from CNN in June 2025 followed a high-profile defamation lawsuit brought by U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young. Young alleged that a November 2021 report on CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper," which Marquardt reported, falsely suggested he had illegally profited from evacuating individuals from Afghanistan following the U.S. military withdrawal. Young maintained that he worked with organizations and corporate sponsors to aid those fleeing the Taliban, rather than charging them.
The case proceeded to a Florida jury in January 2025. During the two-week trial, testimony included CNN executives, producers, and Marquardt himself. Jurors reviewed internal communications related to the report's preparation. A key point of contention was Marquardt's claim of attempting to contact Young by phone. Young's legal team presented evidence, including screenshots from the Signal messaging app, suggesting the call was not made or received, and that Marquardt was instructed to stage the call for filming.
Marquardt testified that he used a phone number provided by a colleague, believing it to be Young's, and that he called it multiple times. He also described a behind-the-scenes video, where he referred to the process as "theater," as a "pickup shot" and standard production practice, later attributing the remark to a "Saturday Night Live" sketch. However, jurors were also shown internal messages, including one from Marquardt stating, "We’re gonna nail this Zachary Young..." Young's legal team argued this indicated a preconceived intent to portray him negatively.
Despite Marquardt's defense of his reporting and his assertion that he had found no evidence of wrongdoing by Young, the jury found CNN liable for defamation. While the jury was deliberating punitive damages, CNN and Young reached a confidential settlement. Reports suggested the jury had been prepared to award a significantly larger sum in punitive damages.
Marquardt had been with CNN for eight years. Following the settlement, he remained with the network for five months before announcing his departure. CNN did not publicly comment on the circumstances of his exit, citing personnel policy, though former colleagues reportedly linked it to the lawsuit.
Zachary Young, in a post-trial interview, expressed that while he had not forgiven Marquardt, he was content that Marquardt had found new employment. "Judging by his Twitter, Al Jazeera might be the only newsroom where his coverage and his opinions actually match," Young stated.
Al Jazeera English's hiring of Marquardt is part of its expansion of U.S. political coverage, particularly in anticipation of America's 250th anniversary. The network has also appointed former CNN political correspondent Eva McKend as a Washington correspondent.