as told to Mediaite via CNN Publicity - “You know she’s also a fellow University of Rhode Island graduate and I didn’t know that when I went to the University of Rhode Island. But, I met Christiane when I worked at the Associated Press and she worked for CNN back in the very first Persian Gulf War, we were both over in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait for several, many months during the war back then. She is a friend, as well as a colleague, soon to be a former colleague. I wish her the best.

You know, there are a lot of questions. Christiane does not have a lot of experience covering American politics and so how does she fit in on ABC on Sunday morning? I’ll leave that to them to figure out. It is an interesting pick, it is an unorthodox choice, I think that’s just self-evident, that’s not any special analysis from John King. I’ll watch how it plays out with everyone else.

She is friend, a dear friend, I wish her the best and I have no bad feelings towards ABC. I just think it’s an Interesting choice for them, they really decided to go in a new direction. We’ll see how it plays out. And I would tell everybody out there, put her on your DVR and watch Candy Crowley on State of the Union.”

Read the full interview here.