Trump tweets video of him knocking down, beating CNN
AFP
US President Donald Trump launched a fresh attack on the news media Sunday by tweeting a videobizarre even by his standardsshowing him knocking down and beating a professional wrestling villain whose face had been replaced by a CNN logo, reports AFP from Washington.
The 10-year-old video, hailing back to Trumps days as a guest celebrity at pro-wrestling events, came after a week in which his unrestrained Twitter attacks on two MSNBC talk show hosts drew widespread condemnation from members of both political parties.
In the 28-second video, Trump, dressed in a suit, is seen knocking down another man in a suit who is standing next to a wrestling ring. Trump then pummels the man, whose face is covered by the CNN logo, repeatedly over the head.
At the end of the video, a fake CNN logo appears in the lower right corner of the screen with the words FNN: Fraud News Network.
A longer version of the same video found online shows that the man knocked down was World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) owner-promoter Vince McMahon, a friend of Trumps.
In the longer version, McMahon next appears in a chair in the middle of the ring, his wrists being tied down as Trump takes an electric razor to shave McMahons head bald.
The stunt was part of a promotion at the WrestleMania 23 event dubbed The Battle of the Billionaires, with each man agreeing to let the other shave his head if his wrestler lost.
McMahon was present at the White House in February to pose smilingly with the president when his wife Linda McMahonherself a former WWE executive, and Trumps nominee to head the Small Business Administrationwas sworn into office.
