Trump's 'BULLSHIT' Tweet Is Pushing Vulgarity Into CNN's Daytime Broadcast (Again)
A “BULLSHIT” tweet by President Donald Trump is loosening CNN’s usual restrictions against exposing viewers to vulgar language.
The president, continuing his furious response to a House impeachment inquiry that began last week, on Wednesday posted this tweet accusing Democrats of “wasting everyone’s time and energy”:
The Do Nothing Democrats should be focused on building up our Country, not wasting everyone’s time and energy on BULLSHIT, which is what they have been doing ever since I got overwhelmingly elected in 2016, 223-306. Get a better candidate this time, you’ll need it!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2019
Although the fiery tweet features an eight-letter variant of a four-letter word, CNN executives reportedly signed off on quoting what the president said, according to New York Times reporter Michael M. Grynbaum.
CNN just cleared its staff to use "BULLSHIT" in graphics, banners & headlines, per memo from network head of standards.
"We should show and say it because the President sent it out just that way," memo says.— Michael M. Grynbaum (@grynbaum) October 2, 2019
CNN didn’t immediately respond to HuffPost’s inquiry.
These screenshots from CNN’s live coverage and website suggest the report isn’t full of it.
CNN and most other major media outlets have policies discouraging expletives in news reports. They also make exceptions for the words of a president or other important newsmakers, whose choice of language becomes news.
Trump, who has made coarse comments and nasty nicknames trademarks of his presidency, often challenges efforts to keep media audiences safe from foul language.
In 2018, for example, when Trump railed in a White House meeting against “shithole countries,” CNN and The New York Times reported the president’s words. And rare was the media outlet that didn’t report Trump’s infamous “grab them by the pussy” comment from the “Access Hollywood” tape, and his “son of a bitch” reference to NFL players who kneel during the national anthem.
Although CNN on Wednesday was simply quoting the president’s tweet, the decision caused a bit of pearl-clutching from conservative Erick Erickson:
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This is the wrong decision, @cnn. Reconsider this. I’d like my kids to be able to watch the news with me. https://t.co/z4wniTp0x6
— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) October 2, 2019
Of course, a few Twitter users thought Erickson was playing the blame-the-messenger game.
Seems to me your problem is with the man that used such language.
— patrick mcglinchy (@ginch27) October 2, 2019
Hey @EWErickson, I would like my President to be able to respect the office and not use profanity. Think you should be more worried and concerned about your kids knowing the President is a man of poor character than a news organization reporting factually on it.
— Michael Mantis (@michael_mantis) October 2, 2019
Shoot the messenger much, Erick? The @GOP gave us an R rated president. Should they also not report trump wanted to shoot migrants in the legs? An indecent, immoral man is in the White House, so that's the new we get.
— TollieAyscue (@ayscueb) October 2, 2019
CNN’s decision to quote Trump’s foul-mouthed tweet comes just days after the network was criticized for letting Robert De Niro drop anti-Trump F-bombs during an interview.
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.