After Colton Haab’s claim that CNN provided him with scripted questions, the media network responded in a statement denying scripting questions and subsequently releasing an email exchange with the Haab Family to Business Insider .
The 17-year-old junior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School appeared on Tucker Carlson Tonight where he told the host that CNN executive producer Carrie Stevenson rewrote a question for him at the town hall-style event on Wednesday.
President Donald Trump tweeted about the Tucker Carlson interview and called CNN “fake news.”
CNN denied Haab’s claim in a tweet which stated the following , “CNN did not provide or script questions for anyone in last night’s town hall, nor have we ever.”
The news network subsequently released the emails between Haab’s family and CNN. According to Bu siness Insider , the family of Colton Haab provided a doctored email to support Colton’s claim that CNN provided scripted questions.
Per Business Insider , in the CNN version of the email, Carrie Stevenson told Colton’s father Glen that his son needed to stick to a question that Carrie and Colton agreed to in the following statement, “This is what Colton and I discussed on the phone that he submitted.”
In the version of the email provided by Colton’s father to media outlets, the phrase “that he submitted” is omitted, presumably to give credence to the scripted question claim.
Emails appear to show shooting survivor’s father doctored emails to support claim CNN gave “scripted” question https://t.co/vRMwuUzUSb pic.twitter.com/OlMbHRSOJM
— The Hill (@thehill) February 24, 2018
The metadata of the Word document in the email that Colton’s father sent to Fox News appears that Glenn last edited it.
Parkland shooting survivor’s family shops doctored emails with CNN to media outlets https://t.co/Chxiw5e27T pic.twitter.com/QzM6ySsX1e
— Insider Business (@BusinessInsider) February 24, 2018
Colton Haab stated that he wanted to discuss the idea of arming teachers during the town hall-style event hosted by CNN. The media outlet said that Carrie and Colton agreed to one question, but Haab’s father intervened and sent a long speech for Colton to read, along with three questions for congressmen.
Carrie Stevenson said that the speech was too long and Colton should stick to the question that they both agreed on. Glenn Haab then withdrew his son from the event because he could not read his full speech.
Erik Wemple’s blog on The Washington Post published excerpts of the email and CNN told the publication that the doctored email was an attempt to paint CNN in a negative light.
The full email exchange between Glenn Haab, Colton, and Carrie Stevenson was released to Business Insider.