Donald Trump showed a video in the White House briefing room today that can only be described as propaganda. It was a video that featured sound from New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman taken out of context. It was put together to try to prove that Trump has been trying to halt the spread of coronavirus and it made a lot of people cringe.
Straight up North Korea-style propaganda going on right now in the White House briefing room. Get a load of the dramatic music. pic.twitter.com/p3KO6Ap2Sp
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 13, 2020
CNN aired part of the video before cutting back to their studios, where anchor John King remarked, “That was propaganda. That was not just a campaign video. That was propaganda aired at taxpayer expense in the White House briefing room.”
MSNBC also cut away from the video with host Ari Melber commenting, “What we just saw… a video The White House put out, which suggests they are spending their precious time… making videos that defend [Trump’s] record and tenure rather than provide the much needed medical information that was promised at these daily briefings.”
WATCH: @AriMelber explains why @MSNBC has cut away from the president's campaign rally-style briefing. pic.twitter.com/nOCnF3xEPc
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) April 13, 2020
CBS reporter Paula Reid challenged Trump on the video saying, “Your video has a complete gap. What did your administration do in February with the time that your travel ban bought you… You didn’t use it to prepare hospitals. You didn’t use it to ramp up testing.”
Trump attacks a reporter and starts ranting about Joe Biden when asked why there is a one month gap in his coronavirus propaganda video. pic.twitter.com/8oNhlXJ3IB
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) April 13, 2020
And here’s the reaction from New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman:
The president is using audio of me on The Daily to bash my reporting in the paper (though I’m so glad they listen to the Daily). Their use of the audio is misleading – I went on to say I said he treated that travel limitation as a Mission Accomplished moment. And then he did basically nothing for over a month. Which was our story yesterday.
There are also questions about whether the White House put the video together, at taxpayer’s expense, or the Trump campaign.
JON KARL: That video looked a bit like a campaign ad. Who put that together for you?
TRUMP: “A group in the office”
KARL: That was produced here in the White House?
TRUMP: “Yeah” pic.twitter.com/rYRFn4KTco
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 13, 2020