New Role for Alex Marquardt at Al Jazeera English

Alex Marquardt, who recently parted ways with CNN amid a notable libel case that resulted in considerable financial repercussions for the network, has secured a position with Al Jazeera English.

On social media, Marquardt expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “After years of extraordinary reporting from around the world, I’m thrilled to be joining Al Jazeera @AJEnglish in Washington.”

Marquardt found himself in the spotlight during a high-profile defamation lawsuit in 2025, initiated by U.S. Navy veteran Zachary Young against both him and CNN. A jury ruled that CNN had defamed Young, allowing him to pursue punitive damages connected to Marquardt’s reporting from November 2021. This report had accused Young of being an opportunist exploiting Afghan refugees during the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan under the Biden administration, implying he was involved in illicit activities.

It was quite a dramatic turn; initially, the jury awarded Young $5 million in both economic and emotional damages before negotiations led to a confidential settlement, which likely amounted to a larger sum. The jury foreman later suggested they were inclined to award between $50 million and $100 million in punitive damages to Young if the case had continued.

Roughly five months post-trial, CNN and Marquardt’s paths diverged. Although the network remained silent on specifics, many insiders indicated that this decision was closely linked to the financially burdensome case.

A representative from Fox News Digital attempted to reach Marquardt for further comments.

Al Jazeera, known to be significantly funded by the Qatari government, began its English-language broadcasts in 2006. Marquardt will be hosting a daytime program titled “This is America.”

While Young had been critical of Marquardt’s actions during the trial, expressing he hadn’t forgiven him for the incident, his tone seemed softer when discussing Marquardt’s career move over a year later. “After a year on the sidelines, I’m glad he’s landed somewhere,” Young commented. “From what I see on his Twitter, perhaps Al Jazeera is the only outlet where his views and reporting match up.”

Messages of support flooded in for Marquardt from former colleagues at CNN following his announcement.

During the trial, Marquardt defended his intentions regarding the controversial report, insisting it wasn’t intended as a personal attack against Young. “I didn’t try to bring down anyone. I didn’t bring down anyone,” he testified.

CNN issued an apology on air in March 2022 when Young threatened legal action, although during the trial, Marquardt and others from CNN conveyed they didn’t view the apology as necessary. CNN’s Senior Vice President acknowledged to the jury that the apology was more of a strategic legal maneuver.