William Cummings

USA TODAY

Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski resigned from his role as a political commentator on CNN Friday, effectively immediately, after being seen arriving at Trump Tower earlier in the day.

Despite being fired from the Trump campaign in June, Lewandowski has stayed in close contact with his former co-workers and there has been a lot of speculation about a Lewandowski role in the Trump White House.

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CNN's decision to hire Lewandowski three days after he left the Trump campaign was highly controversial and the move was condemned by several media critics. USA TODAY columnist Rem Reider felt Lewandoski's hire was one of the worst examples of "the revolving door between politics and the media" because unlike many talking heads, the combative Lewandoski had minimal political experience.

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"His background is largely as a Trump guy," Reider wrote. "And not so much as a strategist — Trump is his own strategist — or deep thinker, but as a right-hand man, a body man and an enforcer."

"I think it's really important to have voices on CNN who are supportive of the Republican nominee," CNN President Jeff Zucker said, defending his decision to hire Lewandowski to Variety. "It's hard to find a lot of those. Our competitors tried to hire him too."

Lewandowski drew national media attention in March when he was charged with simple assault after reporter Michelle Fields accused him of forcefully grabbing her during a Florida Trump rally. Authorities declined to prosecute Lewandowski, citing a lack of evidence.