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| White House Says Trump ‘Strongly Condemns’ Violent Video Attacking Media | White House Says Trump ‘Strongly Condemns’ Violent Video Attacking Media |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| WASHINGTON — The White House on Monday said President Trump “strongly condemns” a gruesome fake video that depicts him shooting members of the news media and political rivals, which was shown at his Florida resort. | WASHINGTON — The White House on Monday said President Trump “strongly condemns” a gruesome fake video that depicts him shooting members of the news media and political rivals, which was shown at his Florida resort. |
| But, aides said, he had not seen it and planned to view it “shortly.” | But, aides said, he had not seen it and planned to view it “shortly.” |
| “Re: the video played over the weekend: The @POTUS @realDonaldTrump has not yet seen the video, he will see it shortly, but based upon everything he has heard, he strongly condemns this video,” the White House spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said in a Twitter post on Monday morning. | “Re: the video played over the weekend: The @POTUS @realDonaldTrump has not yet seen the video, he will see it shortly, but based upon everything he has heard, he strongly condemns this video,” the White House spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said in a Twitter post on Monday morning. |
| Mr. Trump, who has been posting on Twitter about other topics early Monday — including wishing his former press secretary good luck on his appearance on Monday evening on “Dancing with the Stars” — has not mentioned or condemned the video himself. | Mr. Trump, who has been posting on Twitter about other topics early Monday — including wishing his former press secretary good luck on his appearance on Monday evening on “Dancing with the Stars” — has not mentioned or condemned the video himself. |
| The video was played at a conference for Mr. Trump’s supporters at Trump National Doral Miami last week. The New York Times on Sunday obtained footage of the video, which the event organizer, American Priority, said was part of a “meme exhibit.” The group said the video was not “approved, seen or sanctioned” by the conference organizers, and it criticized The Times for focusing on the video and not on any of the other events, “including our panel conversation LITERALLY condemning political violence.” | The video was played at a conference for Mr. Trump’s supporters at Trump National Doral Miami last week. The New York Times on Sunday obtained footage of the video, which the event organizer, American Priority, said was part of a “meme exhibit.” The group said the video was not “approved, seen or sanctioned” by the conference organizers, and it criticized The Times for focusing on the video and not on any of the other events, “including our panel conversation LITERALLY condemning political violence.” |
| Mr. Trump regularly lashes out at the news media and dismisses coverage critical of his policies as “fake news.” | Mr. Trump regularly lashes out at the news media and dismisses coverage critical of his policies as “fake news.” |
| While Mr. Trump did not address the video specifically on Monday morning, he did take aim at one of his favorite political targets who was among those featured in the video — Representative Adam B. Schiff, Democrat of California and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. Mr. Schiff is one of three committee chairmen overseeing an impeachment inquiry into Mr. Trump. | While Mr. Trump did not address the video specifically on Monday morning, he did take aim at one of his favorite political targets who was among those featured in the video — Representative Adam B. Schiff, Democrat of California and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. Mr. Schiff is one of three committee chairmen overseeing an impeachment inquiry into Mr. Trump. |
| The video appears to be adapted from a 2014 dark comedy, “Kingsman: The Secret Service,” and portrays the inside of the “Church of Fake News.” A character with a superimposed image of Mr. Trump’s head on a body opens fire in the church. The parishioners have the faces of his critics or the logos of media organizations. | |
| One of the president’s sons, Donald Trump Jr., was at the conference where the video was shown, but did not see it himself. His spokesman on Monday said he had not seen the video and knew nothing about it until it was reported in the media. | |
| “But he strongly condemns the type of disgusting and graphic violence purported to be depicted in the video against members of the media,” Donald Trump Jr.’s spokesman, Andrew Surabian, said. “Regardless of political party, we should all reject any and all violence in our politics, whether it’s directed towards members of the media, politicians, the family members of politicians or political activists.” | |
| Mr. Trump regularly lashes out at the news media and dismisses coverage critical of his policies as “fake news.” | |
| In 2017, Mr. Trump shared on Twitter a less violent fake video of himself wrestling and punching a figure whose head was replaced with the CNN logo. | |
| As the impeachment inquiry has moved forward and House Democrats have interviewed witnesses, Mr. Trump has stepped up his public lashings of news organizations, calling the news media the “enemy of the people.” | |
| News executives have cautioned Mr. Trump against directing violent language at journalists. In 2018, one of the president’s supporters, Cesar A. Sayoc Jr., was arrested and charged with mailing package bombs to some of the president’s Democratic critics ahead of the midterm elections. Mr. Sayoc’s van was covered with pro-Trump and anti-news media stickers. | |
| Mr. Trump, at the time, called the mailings “terrorizing acts,” and said they were “despicable and have no place in our country.” But later at a rally, the president accused the news media of trying to use Mr. Sayoc’s support of Mr. Trump “to score political points against me and the Republican Party.” | |
| Earlier this year, Mr. Sayoc pleaded guilty to 65 felonies. He is serving a 20-year prison sentence. | |
| Maggie Haberman contributed reporting. |