CNN insiders tell Fox News Digital they're convinced the abrupt exit of veteran correspondent Alex Marquardt was the result of the network's defamation trial.

In a cryptic message, Alex Marquardt congratulated his coworkers on CNN's national security team, the same team that contributed to the November 2021 article that put him in big trouble

CNN Chief National Security Correspondent Alex Marquardt left the network on Monday—months after the network settled a defamation suit stemming from his reporting. CNN settled with defense contractor Zachary Young in January after a Florida jury ruled the network had defamed him in a November 2021 report that alleged he gouged prices for those who sought to flee Afghanistan as the United States withdrew from the country.