Conservative commentator Ann Coulter ripped The Associated Press Monday after the wire organization released a picture of Sen. Ted Cruz with a gun pointed directly at his head.
The photo, which was taken during a Cruz event at a CrossRoads Shooting Sports store in Johnston, Iowa Saturday, caused a stir among conservatives in the aftermath, though the AP claims it had no intention to portray Cruz “in a negative light.”
“That is so outrageous,” Coulter told Fox News’ Megyn Kelly. “Don’t insult our intelligence by saying ‘oh, we didn’t even notice. Who would have seen something like that?'”
After Kelly told Coulter the picture had to make its way through the editorial process, the best-selling author became semi-exasperated.
“Look at it!” Coulter exclaimed. The two went on to discuss death threats against President Barack Obama since he jumped on the presidential trail in 2007, while comparing the Cruz photo to the “halo effect” (as Kelly put it) seen in pictures of Obama.
The AP issued a statement Sunday after media outlets picked up on the photo and offered up criticism of the AP’s choice to publish the image, but changed course Monday, deciding to take the pictures off its wire service.
“On Saturday, The Associated Press distributed a series of photos to our member news organizations and other subscribers showing Sen. Ted Cruz at a gun range. The images were not intended to cast the senator in a bad light and they remain available for use by those who received them on Saturday through our photo service,” the AP said in a statement. “Five of the photos show Mr. Cruz with images of a pistol pointing at his head and upon consideration we have decided to remove those photos from further licensing through AP Images, our commercial photo syndication business.”
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