iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — The video of President Donald Trump wrestling a man with a CNN logo superimposed on his head — tweeted out by Trump over the weekend — did not come from the website Reddit, the White House said on Monday.
“The video was not pulled from Reddit,” a White House official told ABC News. The official decline to respond to further requests seeking an explanation for where the president obtained the clip.
Trump tweeted the edited Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) video on Sunday morning, which has him pummelling a person with a CNN logo superimposed over his head. That moment was originally from a 2007 WWE match in which Trump appeared at the performance and body slammed WWE Chairman Vince McMahon.
#FraudNewsCNN #FNN pic.twitter.com/WYUnHjjUjg
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 2, 2017
While the White House denies that Trump sourced the video from Reddit, a user on the site whose handle is a “Star Wars” character’s name interjected with an expletive — Han——-Solo — has repeatedly claimed credit for it.
The GIF posted on Reddit is not exactly the same as what Trump tweeted — the video on Trump’s Twitter account includes sound, and a “Fake News Network” logo at the end of the video.
The Reddit user posted on the discussion website that the video is recognizable by the way the “GIF matches the movements” and the “original logo,” but also knows someone else “added sound to it.” The user said on the site that he posted the original video on a popular subreddit dubbed “The_Donald,” where Trump supporters converge, on June 28.
Brian Stelter, the host of CNN’s “Reliable Sources,” tweeted out CNN’s official response to Trump’s tweet on Sunday, saying “we will keep doing our jobs. He should start doing his.” The response also critiqued Trump for involving himself in “juvenile behavior beneath the dignity of his office” rather than focusing on his “overseas trips, North Korea and the health care bill.”
CNN statement responding to the president: “We will keep doing our jobs. He should start doing his.” pic.twitter.com/Gn1YRA2DRG
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) July 2, 2017
CNN’s communications team hit back on Trump’s Twitter thread directly, responding to the video with a quote from Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, where she defend the president’s criticisms of “Morning Joe” hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski from last week.
“The president in no way, form or fashion has ever promoted or encouraged violence. If anything, quite the contrary,” the team tweeted out, adding that the quote was from Sanders on June 29.
Members of Congress were quick to slam Trump for his tweet on Sunday, while stressing the importance of press freedom.
Sen. Kamala Harris, D-CA, tweeted out, “The First Amendment & freedom of the press are critical to our democracy. The latest attack from the WH undermines our values.”
The First Amendment & freedom of the press are critical to our democracy. The latest attack from the WH undermines our values.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) July 2, 2017
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called the press the “guardians of our democracy” and added that “Violence & violent imagery to bully the press must be rejected.”
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
Sen. Ben Sasse, D-N.E., appeared on CNN on Sunday, warning that there is an important “distinction between bad stories and crappy coverage and trying to weaponize distrust.”
There’s an impt distinction between bad stories and crappy coverage & trying to weaponize distrust. – @BenSasse to @jaketapper @CNN
— Alice Stewart (@alicetweet) July 2, 2017
Meanwhile, some Republican members of Congress and White House officials focused on attacking the press.
John Shimkus, R-Illinois, tweeted that headlines will always favor “scandal over substance and conflict over compromise,” and added that plenty of “bipartisan work was being done.” House Speaker Paul Ryan retweeted Shimkus’ tweet on Monday.
Headlines will always favor scandal over substance and conflict over compromise. Lots of important, and often bipartisan, work being done. https://t.co/Vi3gRbOp8I
— John Shimkus (@RepShimkus) July 3, 2017
Presidential Counselor Kellyanne Conway, who said the president “had the right to fight back” amid last week’s “Morning Joe” controversy, remained quiet about the CNN video, but tweeted on Monday, “Yet, lately role of the media has been to retract false stories & fire liars. “Truth” = patriotic vets died so you can talk nonsense.”
Yet, lately role of the media has been to retract false stories & fire liars. “Truth” = patriotic vets died so you can talk nonsense. https://t.co/ZcRkcnqqmZ
— Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) July 3, 2017
Trump has for years had a hostile relationship with CNN, often calling the network “fake news” with “phony stories” and “garbage journalism.”
The president also tweeted out that he was thinking of changing “Fake News CNN” to “Fraud News CNN” on July 1.
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