Trump threatens CNN, claims they made it appeared he said Desert Storm took place in VIETNAM

Donald Trump threatens CNN after he claims they manipulated his July 4 address so it appeared he said Operation Desert Storm took place in VIETNAM – but network vehemently denies it

  • Donald Trump accused CNN of ‘manipulating the words and meaning’ of his Independence Day remarks at the White House on July 4
  • President threatened the network on Twitter: ‘Watch what happens!’ 
  • Trump appears to be referencing a doctored video that some claim shows him saying Desert Storm happened in Vietnam during the war
  • CNN hit back, claiming it defended Trump when a video clip circulated
  • ‘What. Are. You. Talking. About?’ CNN Communications tweeted. ‘CNN fact-checked and dispelled the video clip’
  • Trump listed some U.S. operations where military aircraft were used before those same jets did a flyover of the National Mall on Saturday evening
  • He stumbled over some words when talking about Operation Desert Storm and U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War 

Donald Trump threatened Saturday night that CNN ‘watch what happens’ after he accused the network of misrepresenting the ‘meaning’ of his Independence Day speech.

‘Wow. @CNN got caught cold manipulating the words and meaning of my 4th of July Speech. They were brazen, desperate. Watch what happens!’ the president tweeted in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Trump did not make clear what he was talking about and whether he was referencing his speech on July 3 at Mount Rushmore, which were widely criticized, or his July 4 remarks in front of the White House.

But the network issued a response to the president’s tweet – claiming that it actually defended Trump by fact-checking claims where people asserted he said Desert Storm occurred in Vietnam.

‘What. Are. You. Talking. About?’ CNN Communications tweeted, confused by why the president was attacking the network.

‘CNN fact-checked and dispelled the video clip that made it seem like you’d said Desert Storm happened in Vietnam,’ the official account cleared up, with images of their defense.

Donald Trump accused CNN of 'manipulating the words and meaning' of his White House remarks on July 4, and threatened: 'Watch what happens!'

Donald Trump accused CNN of ‘manipulating the words and meaning’ of his White House remarks on July 4, and threatened: ‘Watch what happens!’

This references his Independence Day speech at the White House, where a short video clip made it seem Trump has made a faux-pas regarding the two military engagements, which are separated by about two decades.

CNN denied that the president made the mistake after he discussed the 1990 invasion of Iraq to push back Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait, Desert Storm directly following the mention of the ‘dense fields and jungles of Vietnam.’

A fact-check reporter for CNN, Daniel Dale, issued a defense of the president, claiming he did not make a ‘substantive error.’

‘No, he didn’t,’ Dale said in a response to a now deleted tweet including the clip. ‘He stumbled when trying to say the word ‘sweeping’ while talking about Desert Storm, but he was just listing wars – he mentioned Vietnam, then, stumbling, mentioned the sweeping victory in Desert Storm. Didn’t make a substantive error.’

‘People are sharing a short clip that makes it seem like Trump said Desert Storm happened in Vietnam,’ Dale continued in a second tweet. ‘He did not, though he stumbled. Here’s the transcript of that section.’

During Trump's remarks at the White House, he listed wars military aircraft had engaged in e before they did a flyover of the National Mall. He stumbled over words as he spoke of the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm, which some interpreted as him mistaking the events

During Trump’s remarks at the White House, he listed wars military aircraft had engaged in e before they did a flyover of the National Mall. He stumbled over words as he spoke of the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm, which some interpreted as him mistaking the events

The transcript shows Trump was listing wars America was involved with and stumbled when going from talking about Vietnam to Operation Desert Storm. 

‘In a few moments, we will bear witness to awesome aircraft representing every major military conflict over the last 75 years,’ Trump said ahead of the military aircraft National Mall flyover.

‘These planes once launched off massive aircraft carriers in the fiercest battles of World War II. They raced through the skies of Korea’s MiG Alley. They carried American warriors into the dense fields and jungles of Vietnam. They delivered a swift and swip- — and you know that sweeping – it was swift and it was sweeping like nobody has ever seen anything happen – a victory in Operation Desert Storm. A lot of you were involved in that. A lot of you were involved. That was a quick one. And they have gone on to dangerous missions around the world to take out enemy terrorists and bring our soldiers home safely,’ Trump said, according to the White House transcript of the remarks.

CNN was highly critical of Trump’s speech the day before, where he made remarks at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. The network called the president’s remarks a ‘jaw-dropping speech that amounted to a culture war bonfire.’

source: dailymail.co.uk