Trump heavily criticized as ‘juvenile’ over mock CNN video

In his latest jab at the media, U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday tweeted a mock video that shows him pummelling a man in a business suit — his face obscured by the CNN logo — outside a wrestling ring.

It was not immediately clear who produced the brief video, which appears to be a doctored version of Trump’s 2007 appearance on World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. The 28-second clip was posted on Trump’s official Twitter account, with the message: “#FraudNewsCNN #FNN.”

Bruce Brown, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, condemned the video as a “threat of physical violence against journalists.” He said the tweet was “beneath the office of the presidency.”

A White House aide insisted it should not send a chill across the media landscape.

“I think that no one would perceive that as a threat,” Homeland Security adviser Tom Bossert said. “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 accused Trump of “juvenile behaviour far below the dignity of his office.”

The video appeared to be a doctored version of an appearance Trump made on a World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. show called “Battle of the Billionaires” in 2007, in which Trump appears to attack WWE CEO Vince McMahon. His wife, Linda, who founded and built the company with her husband, now heads the Small Business Administration for Trump and was a generous benefactor to his campaign.

The video was posted several days ago by a Reddit user with the title, “Trump takes down fake news.”