CNN Bashes Troops Who Support Trump. Sarah Sanders Fires Back. | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: This informational nugget was sent to me by Ben Shapiro, who represents the Daily Wire, and since this is one of the most topical news events, it should be published on BCN.

    This post was written by Hank Berrien.

    On Thursday, noting that CNN had targeted the American troops in Iraq who asked President Trump to sign their "Make America Great Again" hats or their embroidered patches reading "Trump 2020," White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders fired back on Twitter: "CNN will attack anyone who supports President Trump, including the brave men and women of our military who fight everyday to protect our freedom."

CNN will attack anyone who supports President Trump, including the brave men and women of our military who fight everyday to protect our freedom https://t.co/x6VjuUJFdF

— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) December 27, 2018

    CNN Politics  •  @CNNPolitics

    Troops bringing President Trump "Make America Great Again" hats to sign may have violated a military rule https://cnn.it/2EQ5A4i

    1:24 PM - Dec 27, 2018

    As The Daily Wire reported:

    The network discussed whether the service members might have violated Department of Defense guidelines against partisan political activities, and later implied on its website that the troops had indeed violated the rules. But CNN left out a key part of the guidelines when they quoted them ...

    CNN noted that the Department of Defense guidelines state: "active duty personnel may not engage in partisan political activities and all military personnel should avoid the inference that their political activities imply or appear to imply DoD sponsorship, approval, or endorsement of a political candidate, campaign, or cause."

    But CNN left out from the guidelines: "Active duty members may, however, express their personal opinions on political candidates and issues, make monetary contributions to a political campaign or organization, and attend political events as a spectator when not in uniform."

    Sanders has never been shy about going after CNN when she felt the network had acted inappropriately. In late November 2017, after CNN told Politico it would boycott the annual White House Christmas party for the media, Sanders tweeted, "Christmas comes early! Finally, good news from @CNN."

Christmas comes early! Finally, good news from @CNN. https://t.co/3GeJysIol3

— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) November 29, 2017

    POLITICO  •  @politico

    CNN to boycott White House Christmas party http://politi.co/2BjUaRi

    7:05 PM - Nov 28, 2017

    In January 2018, Sanders flattened CNN's Jim Acosta, who asked if President Trump's early morning tweets were influenced by him watching Fox News. Acosta began, "There have been folks out there who have said, 'You know there's a cause and effect, he watches something on Fox & Friends, and then he tweets about it.' Is that what happened this morning and does that go on?"

    Sanders replied, "I'm sure you're disappointed he's not watching CNN."

    Acosta tried matching wits, saying, "I think he watches a lot of CNN, if you don't mind me saying."

    Sanders finished him: "I don't think that's true, or your numbers would be higher."

    Two months later, Acosta, frustrated that Sanders had not called on him for three consecutive briefings, shouted at her: "Sarah, can I ask a question? Sarah, that's the third briefing you've not taken a question from CNN. Do you expect the Justice Department to enforce all subpoenas, Sarah?"

    Acosta then tweeted: "Third press briefing in a row that @PressSec did not take a question from CNN. #courage."

    Jim Acosta  •  @Acosta

    Third press briefing in a row that @PressSec did not take a question from CNN. #courage

    3:30 PM - Mar 5, 2018

    Sanders fired back on Twitter: "Courage isn't taking "' question from CNN,' Jim. Courage is combat veterans Sgt. Peck and Staff Sgt. Dwyer - the two heroes at the briefing. #itsnotaboutyou"

    Sarah Sanders  •  @PressSec

    Courage isn't taking "a question from CNN," Jim. Courage is combat veterans Sgt. Peck and Staff Sgt. Dwyer - the two heroes at the briefing. #itsnotaboutyou

    Jim Acosta  •  @Acosta

    Third press briefing in a row that @PressSec did not take a question from CNN. #courage

    6:15 PM - Mar 5, 2018

    Three months later, interviewed by CNN's Chris Cuomo, Sanders took no prisoners in telling him how she felt about CNN's coverage, saying:

    I wish that we spent a lot less time focused on things the American people don't care about. I wish we spent a lot less time talking about this witch hunt and that we talked about things that impact everyday Americans. I wish we spent a lot more time talking about the economy. I wish that your network had spent a lot more time today covering a very important piece of legislation that the president signed when he spent a good bit of time this afternoon talking about the importance of Veterans Choice Act that he signed into law today. And your network didn't even take that. I wish those were the things that we spent time talking about that.

    Later in the interview, she asserted:

    What I think is important to remember is that you guys get to ask the questions, but you can't always complain about the answers. You constantly ask the same question over and over and over again and expect different answers and then get mad when the answers don't change. ... Unfortunately, you guys quit reporting the news. When I can read a news story and I have no idea what side of the story the reporter is on, that's a good news story. You'll be hard-pressed to find a lot of news that looks like that.