In 3-2-1…blastoff.
Watch out for a new nickname for CNN Worldwide President Jeff Zucker from President Donald Trump after the CNN executive bashes Trump and his White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders for what he deems is their ignorance.
“There is a total and complete lack of understanding at the White House about the seriousness of their continued attacks on the media,” Zucker said. “The President, and especially the White House Press Secretary, should understand their words matter. Thus far, they have shown no comprehension of that.”
Statement from CNN Worldwide President Jeff Zucker: pic.twitter.com/OXyIT6oSLT
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) October 24, 2018
Earlier Wednesday, CNN’s offices in New York were evacuated after a bomb scare. Reports indicate that a live device was located in the mail room of the Time Warner Center.
CNN has long been at odds with Trump’s White House. Chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta has made it standard practice to make himself the archnemesis to the president and his spokeswoman.
Trump, in return, has incessantly referred to CNN as “fake news.”
The national news media is generally on guard right now since the brutal murder of WaPo columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the hands of the Saudi operators in Turkey. Trump eventually denounced the Saudi regime, calling it the “worst cover-up ever.” He has not yet indicated how the U.S. will handle the crime and what the U.S. response will be.
In the meantime, Trump appeared at a rally in Montana and praised Rep. Greg Gianforte (R-Montana) for body slamming a reporter, the Guardian‘s Ben Jacobs, last year. Gianforte was charged with assault. He admitted his guilt and a judge gave him community service and made him attend anger management classes.
Like Acosta, Jacobs has said repeatedly that he did not want to be the story — even though both of these journalists have made themselves the story whenever the moment suits them.