On Thursday President Trump shared an edited video made by a Twitter user which made the point that you can't always trust what you see on the news. Segments are often cut for airtime, thereby omitting information. So, you're not really always getting the full story. The original viral video featured two toddlers hugging on the sidewalk, and then playfully running after one another. In the edited version shared by Trump, we don't see the hug at first, only the chase. And the scene is accompanied by a headline that reads, "Terrified Todler Runs From Racist Baby."
Here was the video, which, as you can see, is accompanied by a "Manipulated Media" warning.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 19, 2020
Some thought the video was hilarious and made a perfect point about how media outlets sometimes spin narratives for their own agenda, often at the expense of Trump. Others thought it was in poor taste. And then there's CNN's Jim Acosta, who accused President Trump of "exploiting" children.
As always, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany gave CNN a taste of their own medicine, reading Acosta a list of misleading headlines they've been wont to air. For example, the time the network ran a chyron suggesting that Trump called all illegal immigrants "animals," when he was specifically referring to vicious MS-13 gang members.
And speaking of "exploiting children," she reminded Acosta of the time that CNN targeted Covington Catholic high school students and accused them of harassing an elderly Native American protester, accusations which had huge impacts on their lives.
CNN's Jim @Acosta re-ups @CNNPR's claim that Trump sharing a @CarpeDonktum video was "exploiting children to make some sort of crass political point." Yes, the network that tried to ruin @N1ckSandmann....@PressSec @KayleighMcEnany was ready and she wasn't having it. pic.twitter.com/0Jpg84DQd6
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) June 19, 2020
"He was making the point that CNN has regularly taken him out of context," McEnany said of Trump's tweet.
The president, she said, was making a "satirical point that was actually quite funny." But Acosta didn't get the joke.