'Good Riddance': Anti-Fascists Rejoice as Nazi Salute Gets Jeffrey Lord Cut From CNN

CNN has cut ties with pro-Donald Trump commentator Jeffrey Lord over his use of a Nazi expression on Twitter.

The network announced Thursday night that it would no longer be working with Lord after he tweeted the words "Sieg Heil" at a liberal activist in an exchange on the social network. CNN's statement said: "Nazi salutes are indefensible. Jeffrey Lord is no longer with the network."

Lord tweeted the words, referencing the expression used by Nazis during salutes, during a Twitter spat with activist Angelo Carusone, head of liberal fact-checking website Media Matters for America. Lord defended his use of the expression, saying he was "mocking a fascist."

The exchange occurred Thursday following an online quarrel earlier in the week. Media Matters has been a longtime critic of Lord and his appearances on CNN over his strong support for President Trump. On Thursday, Lord wrote an article in The American Spectator criticizing the site, referring to Media Matters as "anti-free-speech bigots who, in typical fascist style, make it their mission to shut down speech they don't like."

When Carusone responded to a tweet from Lord with a link to the article in it by telling the conservative pundit there was a spelling mistake in the headline and asking: "Why do you expect anyone to take you seriously when you don't take yourself seriously," Lord responded, "Sieg Heil!"

Hours later, CNN distanced itself from the commentator and numerous others derided his use of a Nazi salute, despite Lord's insistence that it was meant as satire.

"Why would I delete something that mocks the Fascists at Media Matters Fascists?" Lord said, defending his decision to write the tweet, and explaining why he would be leaving it on his Twitter page.

The Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect praised CNN's decision to sever ties, tweeting, "good riddance," while Media Matters itself tweeted the news followed by: "LOL."

Lord is not the first CNN commentator to face the axe over inappropriate comments on social media, In May the network fired Kathy Griffin after she posted an image of herself holding what looked like the severed head of the president.