Texas Sen. Ted Cruz slammed CNN reporter Brian Stelter on Twitter over the issue of media bias.
Stelter criticized the Republican lawmaker on Monday for sharing a joke on social media in response to an ABC affiliate, which seemingly portrayed Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer violating her own social distancing order.
“Why senators shouldn’t rush to dunk on others based on a too-good-to-be-true tweet,” Stelter tweeted.
A still image from a video used by WXYZ-TV, which went viral on social media, displayed Whitmer signing an order in 2019 in close proximity to others, while the report focused on a measure signed last week that implements $1,000 fines on residents who violate social distancing protocols.
“I RT’ed a former LA Times reporter who had tweeted pics that mistakenly ran on the ABC local news broadcast. When I found out the story was erroneous, I deleted the tweet. Gosh, Brian, why does your tweet omit the MSM error that started it? Or does CNN only exist to attack GOP?” Cruz quipped in response.
I RT’ed a former LA Times reporter who had tweeted pics that mistakenly ran on the ABC local news broadcast. When I found out the story was erroneous, I deleted the tweet. Gosh, Brian, why does your tweet omit the MSM error that started it? Or does CNN only exist to attack GOP? https://t.co/ehvPHPMrGh
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) April 13, 2020
“Your job title is literally ‘chief media correspondent’ for CNN. And yet you ignore the MSM culpability. I simply believed their reporting was accurate. It’s almost as if your real job title is “chief of rapid response, DNC,” Cruz continued.
3/3 Your job title is literally “chief media correspondent” for CNN. And yet you ignore the MSM culpability. I simply believed their reporting was accurate. It’s almost as if your real job title is “chief of rapid response, DNC.”
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) April 13, 2020
The ABC affiliate later stated the video should not have been used for the story and recognized how it could cause confusion.
“While the report did not expressly identify the video as the Governor signing the social distancing order, it should not have been used in this story as it allowed for confusion and misinterpretation,” WXYZ-TV said in a post headlined “Setting the record straight on viral Whitmer photo.”
“We recognize the decision to use the video has caused confusion, and WXYZ has internally addressed what allowed it to happen in the first place,” the outlet added.
