CNN cuts away after Wolf Blitzer looks like he’s going to vomit on air

CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer found himself in an uncomfortable situation on air Feb. 8, 2024.

Blitzer was in the middle of a live interview with Jamie Raskin, the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, during “The Situation Room” when his face began showing subtle signs that something wasn’t quite right.

He could be seen repeatedly swallowing and throwing what appeared to be a slightly panicked glance off camera.

He and Raskin were being shown side-by-side in a double box layout and, as Raskin offered an extended response, Blitzer began appearing to try to suppress a gagging reflex. 

The control room finally cut away to Raskin only. Some off-screen noises could be heard before the show abruptly cut to a commercial break around 6:39 p.m. eastern (there was some speculation that Blitzer was caught on an open mic vomiting, but the network did not confirm what played out in the studio).

The break, which ran around seven minutes, contained a large number of CNN house promos, including multiple ones for “The Situation Room.”

Finally, at around 6:47 p.m., the network’s chief legal affairs correspondent, Paul Reid, appeared on-screen in what appeared to be an insert studio or flash position. 

Advertisement

“Wolf had to step away,” she told viewers, adding that he would be back.

Blitzer never returned that day. He was also not on air Friday, Feb. 9, 2024, with Alex Marquardt filling in.

A CNN spokesperson told Washington Post media reporter Will Sommer, “Wolf wasn’t feeling 100% while anchoring Thursday night. He looks forward to being back in the Situation Room and appreciates the well wishes.”

I’m fine! Thanks for the well wishes. I’ll see you back in the Situation Room soon.

— Wolf Blitzer (@wolfblitzer) February 9, 2024

Blitzer himself later posted to X “I’m fine. Thanks for the well wishes. I’ll see you back in the Situation Room soon.”

The anchor, 75, has been a fixture on CNN since 1990, sometimes appearing multiple hours per day, so it’s perhaps not surprising he opted to work while not feeling well.

Television studio setups are sometimes equipped with “cough” buttons that let talent mute their mics in the event they need to cough or speak quickly, though it’s not clear how CNN’s studios are configured. It’s also possible Blitzer could have used hand motions out of camera view to let the crew know something was wrong. This could have been spotted by either floor crew would could have relayed the message to the control room via intercom or spotted by the control room on another camera shot or “spy” camera, if the studio had one.