To set the stage, here’s the tweet from President Trump that has everyone upset with him and not at Kim Jong Un, to whom he was responding:
North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the “Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.” Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018
No, it probably won’t go down in history as one of his most “presidential” tweets, but it’s unlikely to start World War III either. Still, CNN’s Brian Stelter let it be known that he rewrote the lead of “Anderson Cooper 360” to accommodate.
Rewriting @AC360 due to Trump's "nuclear button" tweet: "This is not how we planned to start the broadcast, but President Trump has just tweeted, and it is almost literally a bombshell," @andersoncooper says pic.twitter.com/0Hf74aBv5p
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) January 3, 2018
It’s “almost literally a bombshell” … get it? Hey, we’re old enough to remember Ronald Reagan joking about bombing Russia in five minutes, so maybe the shock factor just isn’t there.
Stelter, who works for the news network that devoted multiple segments to Trump drinking 12 Diet Cokes a day, made it a point that Tucker Carlson didn’t rewrite the lead of his show to highlight Trump’s tweet.
Fox News sticking with the really big stories: Right now the banner says "TUCKER TAKES ON FORMER HILLARY CLINTON ADVISER."
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) January 3, 2018
Weird, since CNN loves hearing from those insignificant former Hillary advisers. https://t.co/Nq7jtmfAMs
— Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) January 3, 2018
Doesn’t he know that Jake Tapper already played this game with @redsteeze and lost?
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Kinda like CNN chasing a white box truck while ignoring #IranProtests? Like that, Bri? https://t.co/GF86PNnvXa
— Anita Sia Perpwalk (@NewYearsDani) January 3, 2018
How’s that #IranProtests thingy going, pally? https://t.co/pDmWC4gvxb
— Mary Magdalen (@Gr8LakesCzarina) January 3, 2018
https://twitter.com/landho69/status/948368152966127616
https://twitter.com/DaleKingston06/status/948365702586617856
https://twitter.com/JimmyTusheets/status/948375503475433472
Unlike @CNN s hard hitting news, regarding two scoops of ice cream, or the flotus wearing high heels to a helicopter
— American Citizen (@USAvoter1) January 3, 2018
@brianstelter. Hey Costanza, you are correct, this is not about trucks or ice cream so its clear there is too much substance here for CNN #NationalInquirer to ever consider. @TuckerCarlson https://t.co/y4EVrlvVNy
— Joe Valenza (@javalenza30) January 3, 2018
— Samantha Felt (@samantha_felt) January 3, 2018
https://twitter.com/julesdc/status/948365701961736192
https://twitter.com/word_34/status/948369194210361344
Keep punching up, big guy. https://t.co/Udj5BvEN2c
— Nick (@NicholasBrodie) January 3, 2018
It’s madness!
.@CNN's @brianstelter just called @realDonaldTrump's behavior "madness."#DonaldTrump
— Nick LaFave (@NickLaFave) January 3, 2018
"madness, shouldn't we call it that?" Yes @brianstelter, this is madness.
— April Conyers (@aprilolanoff) January 3, 2018
This is about the president's fitness. It's uncomfortable. But it's incumbent on journalists to ask these Q's. https://t.co/6DbjZW8S71
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) January 3, 2018
Like they did with Hillary? https://t.co/lKvguJQSiN
— Matthew A. Duda (@nnw59) January 3, 2018
The CNN hive mind is in sync, so no worries there:
My New Year's Resolutions:
1. Don't normalize Trump
2. Cover the tweets
3. Remember Trump changed the rules
4. Anecdotes are meaningless
5. Handle legit criticism betterhttps://t.co/rUHeABIMJA— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) January 3, 2018
And by “handle legit criticism better,” he means “point at Fox,” right?
Related:
‘Braking’ news! CNN might have found truck that blocked view of Trump on golf course
IT’S A WALK OFF: Jake Tapper and Stephen Miller slap-fight over CNN and FOX News coverage
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