One day after totally shutting down CNN's Jim Acosta at his first press conference as President-elect, Trump continues to hammer CNN tweeting that they're "in a total meltdown with their FAKE NEWS because their ratings are tanking since election and their credibility will soon be gone!"
.@CNN is in a total meltdown with their FAKE NEWS because their ratings are tanking since election and their credibility will soon be gone!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
Of course this is likely, at least in part, a reaction to a clash that occured last night between CNN's Anderson Cooper and Kellyanne Conway in which Cooper, despite his network's clear reporting errors, said "I think you guys are feeling the heat. [Our report] was actually backed up by not only by multiple sources but other news agencies." Of course, Conway was quick to shut down Cooper's deflection:
“What heat do we feel? That you’ve got this raw information, this complete ridiculous fake news?”
“I know CNN must be feeling the heat today of having a headline yesterday at around 6:30 p.m. that said, quote, ‘Intel chiefs presented Trump with information that Russia had information to compromise him. That is just false.”
“It has not been backed up by credible news sources. Actually, it’s just fake, it’s not even news, I can’t even use ‘news’ for it.”
Anderson Cooper and Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway clash over Russia reports. https://t.co/yxujGpevM2
— CNN (@CNN)
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For those who missed it, here are the epic exchanges from yesterday.
In an epic (mutual) trolling between president-elect Trump on one hand and BuzzFeed and CNN, on the other, the two media organizations which issued yesterday's unsubstantiated report about Russia having compromising information on the president-elect, Trump first addressed the question of why he referred to Nazi Germany, saying it is "disgraceful" that intelligence communities would allow the release of any information. "That's something Nazi Germany would have done and did do," he says.
He then unleashed on Buzzfeed which alone published the 35-page memo behind the Russian allegations, saying "Buzzfeed which is a failing pile of garbage... will suffer the consequences"
And then, in an even more stunning episode, Trump slammed CNN reporter Jim Acosta, who he also called out during the presser over their report on a two-page synopsis they claim was presented to Trump.
With Trump looking to call on other reporters, Jim Acosta yelled out, “Since you are attacking us, can you give us a question?”
“Not you,” Trump said. “Your organization is terrible!”
Acosta pressed on, “You are attacking our news organization, can you give us a chance to ask a question, sir?” Trump countered by telling him “don’t be rude.”
“I’m not going to give you a question,” Trump responded. “Don't be rude. I’m not going to give you a question. You are fake news!” Trump responded, before calling on a reporter from Breitbart.
A snubbed Jim Acosta then tweeted the following: "Fortunately ABC's Cecilia Vega asked my question about whether any Trump associates contacted Russians. Trump said no."
Fortunately ABC's Cecilia Vega asked my question about whether any Trump associates contacted Russians. Trump said no.
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta)
Trump also had some "kind words" for the BBC:
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These exchanges followed an initial statement by Trump spokesman Sean Spicer who said that "for all the talk lately about 'fake news,' this political witch hunt by some in the media...is frankly shameful & disgraceful.... Highly irresponsible for a left-wing blog... to drop highly salacious and flat out false information on the Internet."
Following this, we expect the war between Trump and the media in general, or at least CNN in particular, to reach biblical proportions.
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