During Monday’s Coronavirus Task Force press briefing, CNN had a meltdown and it showed with the chyrons (blocks of texts displayed across the bottom of the screen) to ridicule President Trump after he shared a video montage of his administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, including praising from an array of governors from both sides of the aisle.
Instead of airing the Trump’s video of his administration handling of the coronavirus crisis, CNN used their chyrons to interpret it as followed:
- “Trump uses task force briefing to try and rewrite history on coronavirus response” (6:16pm ET)
- “Angry Trump turns briefing into propaganda session” (6:17pm ET)
- “Trump refuses to acknowledge any mistakes” (6:27pm ET)
- “Trump melts down in angry response to reports he ignored virus warnings” (6:36pm ET)
- “Trump attacks media after series of reports he ignored warnings as virus spread” (6:40pm ET)
- “Angry Trump uses propaganda video produced by government employees at taxpayer’s expense” (6:58pm ET)
Screenshots of the chyrons were shared by a number of CNN reporters on Twitter.
CNN, along with MSNBC network broke away from the daily press briefing once Trump began playing the video to air their grievance. Jim Acosta, the reporter covering the White House for CNN left the briefing room to join the CNN panel to criticize the President for his actions during the briefing.
“To play a propaganda video at taxpayer expense in the White House briefing room is a new—you can insert your favorite word here in this administration,” CNN anchor John King said on air in explaining the decision to cut away from the briefing. “It was selective, cherry-picking information.”
“I have to tell you that is the biggest meltdown I have ever seen from a president of the United States in my career,” Acosta said live on CNN while the briefing was still ongoing. “I don’t think a reasonable person could watch what we just saw over the last hour and conclude that the president is in control. He sounds like he is out of control.”
Acosta added, “He was ranting and raving for the better part of the last hour during that news conference as John King was just saying he’s claiming he has authorities that he doesn’t have,” he continued. “The constitution does not give the president of the United States total authority, and I thought it was very illuminating that Vice President Mike Pence got up there at the podium and described the president’s authority as plenary or absolute. That is not the case. That is a fact-check false.”
As the briefing aired pass the 7pm ET hour, CNN continued to cut in and out airing the live press conference with its analysis panel all while recycling its chyrons.
The hashtags #TrumpMeltdown and #TrumpMadness began trending on Twitter.
Joe Biden’s senior adviser Symone Sanders, praised CNN on Twitter for criticizing the president. She tweeted, “Chyron on point today CNN.”
After the briefing, Trump tweeted a video of Fox News’ Tucker Carlson saying CNN had the meltdown with its series of chyrons.
Dale Brown
April 14, 2020You just cannot fix ignorant animosity!