Fake video shows Trump killing journos
washington — The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) condemned on Sunday a video that depicted a fake image of US President Donald Trump slaughtering members of the news media, shown at a gathering of his supporters.
News of the video was first reported by the New York Times after someone who attended the gathering leaked a cell-phone video of it to the newspaper.
“The WHCA is horrified by a video reportedly shown over the weekend at a political conference organised by the president’s supporters,” Jonathan Karl, president of the association, said in a statement. “All Americans should condemn this depiction of violence directed toward journalists and the president’s political opponents,” he said.
“We have previously told the president his rhetoric could incite violence.
“Now we call on him and everybody associated with this conference to denounce this video and affirm that violence has no place in our society.”
The video shows Trump’s head superimposed on the body of a man wearing a pinstriped suit opening fire at a “Church of Fake News” with some parishioners faces with logos of various news organisations, the Times reported.
Reuters has not obtained a copy of the video for review and had not been able to contact organisers of the event.
But the political action group hosting the event, American Priority, said in a statement on Twitter that it had not been aware of the video and did not approve it. “It has come to our attention that an unauthorised video was shown,” the group said, adding that the video had been shown in a “side room.”
“This video was not approved, seen or sanctioned by the ... organisers.” American Priority states on its website it supports free speech as protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution.
A spokesman for Trump’s campaign said he knew nothing about the video, the Times reported.
“That video was not produced by the campaign, and we do not condone violence,” said spokesman Tim Murtaugh. —