CNN wasn’t thrilled by President Trump’s latest press briefing, and the network let their chyrons show it.
Throughout the Monday press conference, CNN ran banners on the lower third of the screen mocking the president after he shared a video highlighting praise of his response to the coronavirus pandemic. The network broke into the coverage for a brief segment in which CNN’s chief national correspondent John King called Trump’s video “propaganda.”
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“That was propaganda aired, at taxpayer expense, in the White House briefing room,” King said. “It was selective, cherry-picking information.”
When the network returned to the briefing, producers included chyrons that read:
- “Trump uses task force briefing to try and rewrite history on coronavirus response”
- “Trump melts down in angry response to reports he ignored virus warnings”
- “Trump refuses to acknowledge any mistakes”
- “Trump attacks media after series of reports he ignored warnings as virus spread”
- “Angry Trump uses propaganda video produced by government employees at taxpayer’s expense”
- “Angry Trump turns briefing into propaganda session”
Four banners on @CNN over the last five minutes … pic.twitter.com/UBxpCcY2vl
— Kate Bennett (@KateBennett_DC) April 13, 2020
Many found CNN’s banners to be inappropriate, and several took to Twitter to condemn the response from the network.
“This is CNN.” Look at the lower third. Trump brought his A game tonight. He’s on the offensive and “media” melts. pic.twitter.com/6L6j3OGIFR
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) April 13, 2020
I *love* love love CNN’s chyrons, and not just because of how discrediting they are to their very funny claim to be a news organization and not a reservoir of people beset by hormonal rage and anti-Trump derangement. pic.twitter.com/AH5xGZbEM8
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) April 13, 2020
CNN is not a news organization… https://t.co/7qB44YqI5G
— MediaResearchCenter (@theMRC) April 13, 2020
Others, including Joe Biden’s senior adviser Symone Sanders, appreciated the banners and praised CNN for criticizing the president. She wrote, “Chyron on point today CNN.”
Chyron on point today CNN. pic.twitter.com/P5t6l1anjH
— Symone D. Sanders (@SymoneDSanders) April 13, 2020
Trump was not aware of the banners during his press conference, but he did jab the network during the briefing, saying, “We have many other networks, if you call CNN a network — and I don’t.”
