CNN Accuses Sarah Sanders, White House, Of Spreading Fake News With Doctored Video
Relations between CNN and the White House broke down even more on Thursday after White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted out a video that CNN says was doctored.
CNN and the White House are in a dust-up following an incident at the regularly-scheduled press conference on Wednesday. CNN reporter Jim Acosta, chief White House correspondent, engaged in a heated back-and-forth with the president, NBC News reports.
Trump called Acosta a “rude, terrible person” as a White House intern rushed up to rip the microphone out of Acosta’s hands.
The White House subsequently stripped Acosta’s press credentials. In a statement, Sarah Sanders said that Acosta was being barred from press events at the White House due to the fact that he put “his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a white House intern.”
Because the room was filled with reporters, there is video of the entire event. The original video does not appear to show Acosta getting physical with the intern in any way.
But then, Sanders tweeted out another video on Wednesday night. In this video, Acosta can be seen making a motion toward the intern.
We stand by our decision to revoke this individual’s hard pass. We will not tolerate the inappropriate behavior clearly documented in this video. pic.twitter.com/T8X1Ng912y
— Kayleigh McEnany 45 Archived (@PressSec45) November 8, 2018
The video appears to be the same one posted by Paul Joseph Warren, the editor-at-large for Infowars. This website is well-known for being extremely far right. They have denied that the video was altered in any way.
However, analysis of the video shows that it does contain extra frames not seen in the original C-SPAN footage of the event.
1) Took @PressSec Sarah Sanders' video of briefing
2) Tinted red and made transparent over CSPAN video
3) Red motion is when they doctored video speed
4) Sped up to make Jim Acosta's motion look like a chop
5) I've edited video for 15+ years
6) The White House doctored it pic.twitter.com/q6arkYSx0V— Rafael Shimunov (@rafaelshimunov) November 8, 2018
Slowed down the @Acosta encounter to show the FOUR times the White House staffer touched HIM… not the other way around. Unclear if she's been suspended. pic.twitter.com/gBhlR2r5P1
— Sarah Burris ? (@SarahBurris) November 8, 2018
On Thursday, Sanders responded to the controversy by saying “the question is: did the reporter make contact or not? The video is clear, he did.”
“We stand by our statement,” she said.
“Press Secretary Sarah Sanders lied,” CNN said in an official statement. “This unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better. Jim Acosta has our full support.”
The argument between Acosta and Donald Trump erupted when the CNN reporter asked about the migrant caravan headed to the U.S. from Honduras. Around 4,000 immigrants are currently walking through Mexico to reach the border, where troops have already been deployed.
Acosta asked Trump about the ongoing Russia investigation when the president tried to pivot to another reporter. That’s when Trump insulted Acosta.
Trump has a famously contentious relationship with the press, and has insulted various members of the media and media organizations in the past.
Jeff Mason, Reuters‘ white House correspondent, was next to Acosta at the Wednesday press conference, according to CBC. He says that he did not see Acosta place his hands on the intern. He merely held on to the microphone as she attempted to physically take it away.
The American Society of News Editors, Online News Association and Associated Press Media Editors have demanded that Acosta’s White House press credentials be reinstated.
One CNN editor said that Sanders released “a doctored video — actual fake news,” according to CBS News.
