CNNâs Jim Acosta labeled a video President Trump played during a White House press briefing âstunningâ and akin to a âcampaign-style video.â
Acosta joined Wolf Blitzer on CNN’s The Situation Room following the Monday evening press conference and denounced the video Trump aired about the coronavirus and his administrationâs response, which included clips of officials praising him.
âWe’ve been reporting all day the president has been fretting over Dr. [Anthony] Fauciâs comments in the news media. This is obviously, I think, a symptom of that. But what we just saw a few moments ago â itâs a good thing we cut out of it â is the White House essentially tried to play a campaign-style video in the White House briefing room defending the presidentâs handling of the coronavirus pandemic.â
He added, âThese briefings have been compared to rallies because of the way the president plays loose-and-fast with facts. Well, that’s another way you can compare these briefings, or this briefing today, to the president’s rallies. That is the kind of video you would expect to see at one of his rallies at any arena or venue like that across the country.â
The White House correspondent also told Blitzer that the president has repeatedly downplayed the threat of the virus and falsely claimed his administration has the pandemic under control.
âAll of those things ended up being false, and obviously, there is another criticism there that could be leveled against the president, that is when he was making all of those comments, parts of the country weren’t taking this seriously enough when they should have,â Acosta said.
Blitzer added during the segment, âThis is the White House briefing room. Itâs not a campaign rally out in some city at some huge auditorium or stadium or anything like that. Itâs the White House, it’s the government, and we’re seeing these political statements, very, very partisan, very angry political statements.â
Acosta added, âItâs stunning.â
