CNN Anchor Erin Burnett's Most Controversial Moments

CNN anchor Erin Burnett has been a staple of cable news for decades, getting her first big break at CNBC in 2005 before jumping ship to CNN in 2011. She started hosting "Erin Burnett OutFront" that very same year, which has been a crucial part of their broadcast lineup ever since. Although Burnett has managed to keep awkward on-air blunders to a minimum over the course of her lengthy career, the beloved anchor's time on television hasn't been entirely free of controversy.

In fact, while "OutFront" has become something of an institution at CNN, its initial premiere was not very well received at all. In the show's debut episode, Burnett tackled the Occupy Wall Street movement in a manner that many felt was out of touch. Forbes, for instance, criticized Burnett for the "dismissive and condescending" way she discussed those who had taken to the streets to protest financial inequality in the United States, describing the CNN anchor as "vapid."

Journalism watchdog group Media Matters for America even called on Burnett to apologize for the report, calling the whole thing "smug" and "an embarrassment." The Baltimore Sun similarly described Burnett's take as "self-satisfied, smug, priviledged [sic]" and criticized her for apparently "feeling not one whit of [the protesters'] pain" as they continued to grapple with the effects of the Great Recession. Burnett does not appear to have ever publicly responded to the backlash.

More than a decade after the Occupy Wall Street incident, CNN's Erin Burnett found herself in hot water again when she dropped an uncensored F-bomb live on television. During a 2024 episode of "OutFront," the CNN anchor read a report from The Atlantic claiming that President Donald Trump had rudely protested, "It doesn't cost 60,000 bucks to bury a f***ing Mexican!" referring to murdered U.S. soldier Vanessa Guillén. Burnett, who once worked with Trump on "The Apprentice," read the reported quote completely uncensored, though she immediately apologized. "Excuse my language there," the sheepish journalist told viewers watching at home (via TV Insider) ."I just read it. But that's what he said."

The divisive politician allegedly made the offensive remark while complaining about covering Guillén's funeral expenses, which Trump previously offered to do, during a meeting at the White House. According to The Atlantic, he even ordered chief of staff Mark Meadows to refuse to foot the bill. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Meadows vehemently denied the report. In her own statement on X, Guillén's sister similarly pushed back against claims that Trump had disparaged the fallen soldier. As NBC News pointed out, however, she was not actually present for the meeting in question. It's also worth noting that The Atlantic's piece cites no fewer than two anonymous sources who were reportedly there.