CNN's political coverage has been the subject of numerous studies and critiques. A 2017 study by the Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy found that CNN's coverage of the 2016 presidential election "generally avoided partisan bias." However, the study also noted that "CNN was more critical of Trump than Clinton." A 2018 study by the Pew Research Center found that "CNN is more critical of Trump than most Republican-leaning news outlets, and more supportive of him than most Democratic-leaning outlets."
CNN's reporters and commentators have also been criticized for their political bias. In 2018, for example, President Trump referred to CNN as "fake news" and accused the network of being biased against him. CNN has also been criticized by conservatives for its coverage of the Russian investigation and the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearings.
Despite these criticisms, CNN remains one of the most popular and influential news networks in the world. Its coverage of political events and issues is closely watched by both politicians and the public.