Graphic spoof video depicts Trump's image shooting political enemies and news media
A graphic, violent parody video, shown at a meeting of President Trump's supporters at his Miami resort, depicts a likeness of the president shooting, stabbing and assaulting his political opponents and members of the news media in a church. The New York Times was first to report on the video.
The video was shown last week at an American Priority conference at Mr. Trump's Doral Miami resort. The president wasn't there.
The political group said in a statement at the top of its website that the "unauthorized" video was shown in a side room and wasn't "approved, seen or sanctioned" by the conference's organizers. It also says organizers weren't aware of the video until the Times contacted them about it. The statement goes on to call it "shocking" that the Times didn't cover any of the sanctioned events at the conference, including a panel discussion condemning political violence.
The video is adapted from the movie, "Kingsman: The Secret Service" and Mr. Trump's face is superimposed on a killer's body. Mr. Trump's critics and media members are portrayed as parishioners fleeing his gruesome rampage.
The fake Trump strikes the late Senator John McCain in the neck, hits and stabs Rosie O'Donnell in the face, lights Senator Bernie Sanders' head on fire and targets people whose faces are replaced with news organizations' logos.
Other targets include: Former President Obama, Black Lives Matter, California Democratic Representative Maxine Waters, Bill and Hillary Clinton and Adam Schiff, the Democratic chairman of the House Intelligence Committee leading the impeachment inquiry of Mr. Trump.
CBS, CNN, The Washington Post, NBC, ABC, PBS, Politico and the BBC are among the news organizations depicted as victims of the fake Trump's rage.
In a tweet Monday morning, the White House press secretary said Mr. Trump had not yet seen the video but would soon. "Based upon everything he has heard, he strongly condemns this video," the tweet said.
The video includes the logo for Mr. Trump's 2020 campaign but spokesperson Tim Murtaugh said the "video was not produced by the campaign, and we do not condone violence."
The president of the White House Correspondents' Association, Jonathan Karl, issued a statement saying the group is "horrified" by the video and added that, "All Americans should condemn this depiction of violence directed toward journalists and the President's political opponents. 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."
"This video, and the rhetoric increasingly used against the media, puts journalists in danger, prevents open and honest debate about the issues, and undermines democracy," CBS News said in a statement.
CNN called the images "vile and horrific" and called on Mr. Trump, his family, the White House and the Trump campaign to denounce it "immediately and in the strongest possible terms. Anything less amounts to a tacit endorsement of violence and should not be tolerated by anyone."
Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke tweeted that the video "isn't funny. It will get people killed."
The organizer of the Miami event, Alex Phillips, told the Times the video was played as part of a "meme exhibit" and wasn't associated with or endorsed by the conference "in any official capacity." ''American Priority rejects all political violence," he said, adding that he's looking into the matter.
McCain's widow, Cindy McCain, tweeted her reaction:
Reports describing a violent video played at a Trump Campaign event in which images of reporters & @JohnMcCain are being slain by Pres Trump violate every norm our society expects from its leaders& the institutions that bare their names. I stand w/ @whca in registering my outrage
— Cindy McCain (@cindymccain) October 14, 2019
The Times said Donald Trump Jr., Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis were among the conference's scheduled speakers.
"Ms. Sanders and a person close Mr. Trump's son said on Sunday that they did not see the video at the conference," the Times reported. The newspaper said a spokeswoman for DeSantis didn't reply to an email seeking comment.
The setting for the massacre is the "Church of Fake News," capturing Mr. Trump's familiar refrain about news stories and organizations he says he considers to be producing fake news.