OK, #StickToSports. Yeah, we know. But sometimes, what’s going on in the culture — even if it’s largely online — just has to be addressed.
#FraudNewsCNN #FNN pic.twitter.com/WYUnHjjUjg
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 2, 2017
On Sunday morning, the President of the United States blew up Twitter by posting a meme with footage from a previous appearance at WrestleMania that showed him taking down CNN, accompanied by the hashtags “#FraudNewsCNN” and “#FNN.” Some will surely think Trump’s tweet was funny, even in its sheer absurdity. Others will decry such behavior as unpresidential, unbefitting of the office which Trump currently holds.
Whatever your view, consider that Trump had many reporters — including some from publications like the New York Times — not only addressing that the country’s chief executive had posted a pro wrestling video in which he clotheslined someone with a CNN logo imposed over his head, but also trying to discover the source of the meme and the original video itself.
Twitter folks: is this the original Wrestlemania clip? https://t.co/6XFTmRSnOZ
— Michael M. Grynbaum (@grynbaum) July 2, 2017
https://twitter.com/frankpallotta/status/881531035066003456
https://twitter.com/joeperticone/status/881530267143372802
That is certainly one way for Trump to portray his continuing feud with the media. TRUMP CLOTHESLINES CNN! BAH GAWD! At least that wasn’t Mika Brzezinski’s face imposed on Vince McMahon’s body.
You may have spent your Sunday morning on this holiday weekend posting goofy stuff on social media too. So did the President of the United States! It’s also notable that Trump is not shy about touting his past brushes with celebrity, even ringside appearances during pro wrestling events.
My use of social media is not Presidential – it’s MODERN DAY PRESIDENTIAL. Make America Great Again!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 1, 2017
The Louisiana Purchase, the Emancipation Proclamation, the Civil Rights Act… Trump clotheslines CNN on social media. Presidential historians could conceivably devote entire chapters to this moment when looking back at this administration.
