In his latest jab at the media, President Donald Trump on Sunday tweeted a mock video that shows him pummeling a man in a business suit 含羞草研究社� his face obscured by the CNN logo 含羞草研究社� outside a wrestling ring.
It was not immediately clear who produced the brief video, which appears to be a doctored version of Trump含羞草研究社檚 2007 appearance on World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. The 28-second clip was posted on Trump含羞草研究社檚 official Twitter account, with the message: 含羞草研究社�#FraudNewsCNN #FNN.含羞草研究社�
The president in the past has branded the media as 含羞草研究社渢he opposition party含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社渢he enemy of the American people.含羞草研究社� He has taken particular aim at CNN, calling the network 含羞草研究社渇ake news.含羞草研究社�
Bruce Brown, the executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, condemned the video as a 含羞草研究社渢hreat of physical violence against journalists.含羞草研究社� He said Trump含羞草研究社檚 tweet was 含羞草研究社渂eneath the office of the presidency.含羞草研究社�
A White House aide insisted the tweet should not send a chill across the media landscape.
含羞草研究社淚 think that no one would perceive that as a threat,含羞草研究社� homeland security adviser Tom Bossert said. 含羞草研究社淚 hope they don含羞草研究社檛. But I do think that he含羞草研究社檚 beaten up in a way on cable platforms that he has a right to respond to.含羞草研究社�
CNN accused Trump of engaging in 含羞草研究社渏uvenile behaviour far below the dignity of his office.含羞草研究社�
The dishonest media will NEVER keep us from accomplishing our objectives on behalf of our GREAT AMERICAN PEOPLE! 馃嚭馃嚫
含羞草研究社� Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
White House officials travelling with Trump during his weekend stay at his New Jersey golf club did not immediately respond to questions about who made the video or about any message the president might have intended to send.
The video appeared to be a doctored version of an appearance Trump made on a World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. show called 含羞草研究社淏attle of the Billionaires含羞草研究社� in 2007, in which Trump appears to attack WWE CEO Vince McMahon.
McMahon含羞草研究社檚 wife, Linda, who founded and built the company with her husband, now heads the Small Business Administration for Trump and was a generous benefactor to his campaign.
The video was posted several days ago by a Reddit user with the title, 含羞草研究社淭rump takes down fake news.含羞草研究社� It was not clear whether that was where it originated or where Trump found it. Still, the user wrote Sunday about being 含羞草研究社渉onoured含羞草研究社� Trump had tweeted the video. The user who posted the video has a history of posts using anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant language.
The president含羞草研究社檚 verbal shots against news outlets and individual members of the media have grown increasingly personal in recent days even as lawmakers in both parties say the insults only threaten to undermine his political agenda.
Trump has singled out MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski and CNN for some of his most biting criticism, and hardly is backing down in the face of widespread condemnation from the political class.
含羞草研究社淭he fake media tried to stop us from going to the White House, but I含羞草研究社檓 president and they含羞草研究社檙e not,含羞草研究社� Trump told a supportive crowd Saturday in Washington.
A White House spokeswoman, Sarah Sanders, told reporters last week that Trump 含羞草研究社渋n no way, form or fashion has ever promoted or encouraged violence.含羞草研究社�
CNN, in its response to the video posted Sunday, said it was 含羞草研究社渁 sad day when the president of the United States encourages violence against reporters. Clearly, Sarah Huckabee Sanders lied when she said the president had never done so.含羞草研究社�
CNN含羞草研究社檚 statement noted the weighty list of issues before Trump 芒鈧卟菅芯可鐫 an overseas trip this week that includes a meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, the stalled health care bill, the threat from North Korea. Instead of focusing on those matters, CNN said, 含羞草研究社渉e is involved in juvenile behaviour far below the dignity of his office. We will keep doing our jobs. He should start doing his.含羞草研究社�
Trump含羞草研究社檚 latest tweet came as Republicans and Democrats have been imploring him to focus on leading the country, rather than exploding on social media.
For days, Trump has focused his ire on Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough, co-hosts of MSNBC含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社淢orning Joe.含羞草研究社�
Trump took to Twitter on Thursday to call Brzezinski 含羞草研究社渃razy含羞草研究社� and contend she was 含羞草研究社渂leeding badly from a face-lift含羞草研究社� when he once saw them at his Florida estate. The comment was decried as sexist and vulgar by many Democrats and Republicans.
The MSNBC personalities said Friday that Trump was lying about their December encounter and they questioned his 含羞草研究社渦nhealthy obsession含羞草研究社� with their program.
The hosts, who are a couple onscreen and off, also said the White House told them a damaging National Enquirer story about their relationship would 含羞草研究社済o away含羞草研究社� if they called the president and apologized for harsh commentary. Trump quickly disputed the claim on Twitter.
Republican officials acknowledged Sunday that Trump含羞草研究社檚 Twitter feed distracts from work like health care.
含羞草研究社淲e in Washington, we in the country, cannot be focused on tweets,含羞草研究社� said Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., adding that 含羞草研究社淚 get so frustrated when we get focused on tweets.含羞草研究社�
Gov. John Kasich, R-Ohio, said he hoped Trump含羞草研究社檚 family would talk to him and say, 含羞草研究社淜nock it off.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淭he coarseness doesn含羞草研究社檛 help anybody,含羞草研究社� he said.
Bossert and Kasich appeared on ABC含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社淭his Week.含羞草研究社� Cassidy was on NBC含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社淢eet the Press.含羞草研究社�
Catherine Lucey, The Associated Press
Like us on and follow us on .
