Hollywood, media respond with outrage to Trump's CNN bodyslam video

Arlene Washington
Updated

President Donald Trump's tweet early Sunday morning of him attacking CNN has caused a stir on social media, where many have called for the president to be impeached. Prior to the CNN tweet, the president posted a series of tweets on Saturday targeted at Morning Joe co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzeninski and what he calls the "fraudulent news media," and called his tweeting "modern day presidential."

CNN released a statement saying that the tweet "encourages violence against reporters" and "We will keep doing our jobs. He should start doing his." CNN also directly replied to Trump's tweet with a quote that Sarah Huckabee Sanders that said during a press briefing on Thursday: "The President in no way form or fashion has ever promoted or encouraged violence. If anything, quite the contrary."

The tweet caused #25thAmendmentNow to be a trending topic on Twitter where many called for the president to be impeached. RuPaul tweeted out details of an "Impeach Now" march in Downtown Los Angeles on Sunday beginning at noon.

Read more: Trump Tweets Video of Himself Attacking CNN

Bruce Brown, the executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, called the video a "threat of physical violence against journalists" and said that Trump's tweet was "beneath the office of the presidency." He concluded his statement saying, "When the President attacks the press, he attacks the people."

Trump's homeland security adviser appeared on ABC's This Week on Sunday saying, "I think that no one would perceive that as a threat. I hope they don't. But I do think that he's beaten up in a way on cable platforms that he has a right to respond to." CNN contributor Ana Navarro also appeared on the show also appeared on the show where she said the tweet "is an incitement to violence. He is going to get someone killed in the media."

Read the reactions on social media below.

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