- Michael Smerconish broke away from the Republican party and is now a registered Independent.
- Smerconish has hosted several TV and radio programs, as well as authored seven novels.
- Next week, Smerconish will replace Chris Cuomo in CNN's prime time slot.
SiriusXM radio host Michael Smerconish is slated to temporarily replace Chris Cuomo on CNN's primetime slot next week, according to Variety.
A former Republican who is now a registered Independent, Smerconish has hosted a variety of programs across news mediums, including "The Michael Smerconish Program," a SiriusXM daily talk-radio program, and "Smerconish," a weekly Saturday TV program on CNN, according to his biography. He has also authored seven books, two of which are New York Times bestsellers.
On Saturday, Smerconish was announced as the temporary replacement for Chris Cuomo, who CNN fired earlier in the day for his involvement in attempting to mitigate the sexual harassment scandal that resulted in his brother, Andrew Cuomo, resigning as governor of New York.
Chris Cuomo had served as the face of CNN's 9 p.m. EST slot since 2018, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The network has not announced any immediate plans for a permanent replacement.
Insider has reached out to CNN for comment.