Despite the nature of the video's content, Twitter says the clip doesn't violate the site's anti-violence and harassment policies and U.S. Homeland Security Advisor thinks it's not a threat.
- Jul 3, 2017
AceShowbiz - Donald Trump doesn't hold back in expressing his distaste for the press. The president just took his attack on CNN to another level by posting on Sunday morning, July 2 on Twitter a video of him fake-attacking the network. "#FraudNewsCNN #FNN," he captioned the video.
The clip was taken from Trump's staged appearance on WrestleMania 23 in 2007, during which he body-slammed and fake-sucker-punched WWE CEO Vince McMahon. McMahon's face was replaced with a CNN logo in the video that Trump tweeted.
#FraudNewsCNN #FNN pic.twitter.com/WYUnHjjUjg
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 2, 2017
CNN has released a statement responding to Trump's tweet. "It is a sad day when the President of the United States encourages violence against reporters," the network stated. "Clearly, Sarah Huckabee Sanders lied when she said the President had never done so."
"Instead of preparing for his overseas trip, his first meeting with Vladimir Putin, dealing with North Korea and working on his health care bill he is involved in juvenile behavior far below the dignity of his office. We will keep doing our jobs. He should start doing his," the statement read.
The violent video also drew reactions from anti-Trump supporters. "Violence & violent imagery to bully the press must be rejected. This #July4th, celebrate freedom of the press, guardians to our democracy," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi tweeted.
Violence & violent imagery to bully the press must be rejected. This #July4th, celebrate freedom of the press, guardians to our democracy
— Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) July 2, 2017
Republican strategist and CNN commentator Ana Navarro added, "America, stand against this. Trump is going to end up getting a media person killed w/this incitement to violence. Maybe then, he'll stop."
America, stand against this. Trump is going to end up getting a media person killed w/this incitement to violence. Maybe then, he'll stop. https://t.co/IGM0fThtt5
— Ana Navarro (@ananavarro) July 2, 2017
CNN's Brian Stelter said the network's taking the situation "very seriously" and he personally had asked Twitter's press department about whether the video violated Twitter's anti-violence and harassment policies. In response to his question, Twitter has told CNN that Trump's video doesn't violate the site's policies.
U.S. Homeland Security Advisor Thomas Bossert has also come to Trump's defense, telling Martha Raddatz of ABC, "My first reaction to that tweet would be the same as any of the president's tweets."
He continued, "There's a lot of cable news shows that reach directly into hundreds of thousands of viewers and they're really not always very fair to the president, so I'm pretty proud of the president for developing a Twitter and a social media platform where he can talk directly to the American people. Whatever the content of that tweet is or any tweet, he's demonstrated a genuine ability to communicate to the people."
Raddatz pressed, "I want to ask you, is that the kind of communication you want, that he’s beating up on somebody, that he's beating up on the media? You're in charge of homeland security there. That seems like threat."
Bossert responded, "Certainly not. I think that no one would perceive that as a threat. I hope they don't. But I do think that he's beaten up in a way on cable platforms that he has a right to respond to." He added, "He's simply pushing back defending himself."
Trump's video followed his controversial attack on "Morning Joe" co-host Mika Brzezinski which sparked criticism from both Republicans and Democrats.
On Sunday afternoon, Trump updated his Twitter account with another tweet attacking the media. "The dishonest media will NEVER keep us from accomplishing our objectives on behalf of our GREAT AMERICAN PEOPLE!" he wrote along with a clip from his speech at the Kennedy Center in Washington on Saturday.
The dishonest media will NEVER keep us from accomplishing our objectives on behalf of our GREAT AMERICAN PEOPLE! #AmericaFirst🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/jSciqzAs6G
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 2, 2017
