Over the last 24 hours, the biggest story to dominate American politics has been Donald Trump and his allegations that the news media is ignoring Islamic terrorists attacks. After the White House released a list of incidents to back up their claim, it was disputed and easily debunked, leading to a heated exchange on CNN.
Conway's CNN return
In recent weeks, Presidential Counsel Kellyanne Conway has been absent from CNN. The rift between the network and the White House reached a fever pitch last month when Donald Trump called out the cable news channel and reporter Jim Acosta during a live press conference, labeling them "fake news." In the aftermath, Conway has come under fire for her recent blunders, including her use of the term "alternative facts," as well as citing the fake "Bowling Green Massacre" in an attempt to justify the controversial "Muslim ban" executive order.
As seen during a February 7 segment on CNN, both sides are still not on good terms.
(Full interview above.)
Joining host Jake Tapper was former Donald Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway. Tapper quickly pressed Conway on the recent allegations, which instantly sparked a heated debate. "CNN and other media organizations cover terrorism around the world all the time," Tapper said, before adding, "Saying that we don’t cover terrorism, it's just false." Conway attempted to slightly deflect and clarify, stating that the list was in reference to attacks that needed more coverage. Tapper fired back, telling Conway "that's a lovely spin," before accusing the White House of being "offensive" in their claim.
.@jaketapper to Kellyanne Conway: Saying that we don't cover terrorism is just false. It’s offensive. https://t.co/z792GDX8Bg
— CNN (@CNN) February 7, 2017
Going further, Jake Tapper then highlighted another statement made by Donald Trump where he insisted that the murder rate in the United States was increasing, while it's actually on the decline.
"Facts are stubborn things. And to say we’re not reporting something that happens not to be true," the CNN host told Kellyanne Conway.
.@jaketapper: “Are we fake news?”
— CNN (@CNN) February 7, 2017
Kellyanne Conway: “No, I don’t think CNN is fake news.” https://t.co/JiEA0SPrXj https://t.co/WnHV3ty6LL
Current status
As the mainstream media continues to do battle with Donald Trump and his administration, it's likely only going to increase as time goes on. Despite evidence that has been presented to debunk many of the claims made by the former host of "The Apprentice," his core base is sticking by him, and only increasing their distrust of the press.
