Brian Stelter skewered after bragging CNN skipped Trump rally: ‘You're settling for last place again?’
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}'Reliable Souces' host Brian Stelter (LinkedIn)
CNN’s in-house media magpie Brian Stelter was ridiculed Wednesday night after bragging on Twitter that his network didn’t air President Trump’s rally in Duluth, Minn. which occurred hours after he signed an executive order to end the separation of families who cross the border illegally.
“As expected, the only cable newsers carrying tonight's Trump rally are Fox News and Fox Biz,” Stelter tweeted with a photo of the Fox News coverage.
“President speaks on day of a major story development; and the nation's hall monitor prides self on not covering it,” Fox News host Greg Gutfeld tweeted, and Fox News’ Geraldo Rivera responded, “That doesn’t make them wrong.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}But it wasn’t only Fox stars tweaking Stelter’s tweet. The CNN media reporter was, as the kids say, “ratioed,” which is when negative comments far outnumber the likes and retweets on a particular tweet.
A confused follower asked, “As expected? Cable news is 24/7. Why would you not broadcast a Presidential rally?”
Another user responded, “Why isn’t CNN covering the President? Couldn’t you get @Acosta to stand in the crowd & scream questions at him?”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Mocking the low ratings of CNN was a common theme, as CNN typically finishes behind MSNBC in most measurables. One user responded, “So you're settling for last place again? Awesome!”
“Some news organizations like folks to hear what our President has to say... unfiltered and unedited,” one user responded while dozens mocked CNN as “fake news,” a term Trump uses when describing the network on a regular basis.
Other responses to Stelter’s tweet included messages such as “it would trigger your viewers, they aren't used to truth,” “Unlike CNN, we like to see our President,” “no one watches you” and “maybe you should try doing real news?”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ironically, the crowd at Trump’s Duluth rally erupted into chants of “CNN sucks” at one point. While Trump held his rally, CNN’s coverage included Bernie Sanders complaining about the Trump administration and CNN correspondent Jason Carroll reporting on the “mental anguish” children can suffer when being separated from their parents.
Earlier this month, Stelter was mocked for his responses to a tweet President Trump sent regarding media speculation over first lady Melania Trump’s recent absence from the public eye after he was called out for hypocrisy.
“The Fake News Media has been so unfair, and vicious, to my wife and our great First Lady, Melania. During her recovery from surgery they reported everything from near death, to facelift, to left the W.H. (and me) for N.Y. or Virginia, to abuse. All Fake, she is doing really well!” Trump tweeted.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Stelter quoted the president’s tweet and wrote, “Trump is conflating random Twitter commenters with ‘the media’ here. A common tactic of bad faith critics. But disappointing to see POTUS do it.”
Media watchdogs quickly reminded everyone that Stelter helped push the narrative that the first lady was “missing in action” in the first place.
Stelter did not immediately respond to a request for comment.