Donald Trump Jr. slammed CNN chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta after the reporter knocked his father for naming the president’s “scapegoates” for the coronavirus outbreak.
At Tuesday’s coronavirus press briefing, President Trump announced that he was halting U.S. funding of the World Health Organization (WHO) after several errors that were made critics say shielded China from scrutiny
During the briefing, Acosta shared a running list of “scapegoats” he accused the president of blaming.
“Scapegoats blamed by Trump for Coronavirus pandemic: World Health Organization, Members of News Media, Democrats in Congress, Governors, (Not himself),” Acosta tweeted, later adding, “Other scapegoats blamed by Trump: China, Obama administration.”
Trump Jr.’s spokesperson, Andrew Surabian, knocked the reporter.
“Well that didn’t take long. … CNN’s Jim Acosta quite literally defending/running interference for the Chinese Communist Party. I’m sure Xi sincerely appreciates his tweets. You can’t make this stuff up,” Surabian said of the Chinese president.
The president’s son quipped, “Maybe time for a name change from CNN to Xi NN. It’s much more fitting.”
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, offered similar condemnation of the journalist.
“Why is CNN apologizing for the Communist Party of China?” Cruz asked. “You’re supposed to be journalists, not CCP propagandists.”
Acosta has been the subject of ridicule in recent weeks with his outspoken hostility towards President Trump. Last week, he was accused of downplaying the WHO’s errors in order to attack the president.
The reporter was also accused of “mansplaining” when interrupting Dr. Deborah Birx as she was laying out the errors WHO had made leading up the pandemic.
Read the rest at: Scapegoating
