White House Aide Cheung Calls CNN’s Burnett ‘Racist’ Over ‘Trump TV’ Criticism
White House communications director Steven Cheung called CNN anchor Erin Burnett a 'racist and a retard' in a statement to The Daily Beast, responding to her criticism of the administration's new 24/7 video stream. Burnett compared the channel, which reairs past presidential remarks, to state television in North Korea. The dispute follows recent bans on major news outlets from White House grounds and a shift in press pool access.
Key points
- Steven Cheung, the White House communications director, issued a statement to The Daily Beast calling CNN anchor Erin Burnett a 'racist and a retard.'
- The attack followed Burnett's monologue on her 'OutFront' show, where she described the White House's new 24/7 video stream, dubbed 'Trump TV,' as resembling state television in North Korea.
- Burnett criticized the channel for low viewer numbers and its content, which primarily consists of re-airing previous Trump addresses and 'major remarks.'
- The new YouTube channel launched shortly after Donald Trump barred CNN, Politico, and MS NOW from White House grounds, prompting major networks to suspend participation in the White House TV pool.
- Cheung is reportedly nicknamed 'Luca Brasi' by the president and has a history of issuing offensive attacks against media figures.
Background
This incident occurs amid escalating tensions between the White House and major news outlets. Recent archive coverage indicates that CNN was excluded from the White House TV pool for the President's UN General Assembly trip, breaking decades of precedent. This exclusion led CNN, MSNBC NOW, and Politico to file lawsuits alleging violations of First Amendment and due-process rights. The traditional press pool rotation, previously shared by ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, and Fox News, is currently in flux, with UN TV providing live feeds for presidential remarks at the UN to compensate for CNN's exclusion.
Why it matters
The exchange highlights the intensifying conflict between the administration and critical media outlets, moving from legal disputes over press access to direct personal attacks by senior officials. It underscores the administration's strategy of controlling media narratives through exclusive video channels while simultaneously restricting traditional press access, raising concerns about press freedom and the erosion of standard journalistic practices.
What to watch
A federal judge has a hearing scheduled for Wednesday regarding the lawsuits filed by CNN, MSNBC NOW, and Politico against the administration over press access bans. The outcome of this hearing will likely determine whether the White House's exclusion of major networks from the press pool and grounds will be upheld or overturned, potentially setting a precedent for future press access under this administration.
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