CNN refused to run the Trump re-election campaign’s ad highlighting the successes of President Trump’s first 100 days in office, the network confirmed in a statement.
The network released a statement saying it wouldn’t run the ad as long as it called the mainstream media “fake news.”
“The mainstream media is not fake news, and therefore the ad is false,” CNN said in a statement.
In response to the Donald J. Trump for President campaign’s accusations of ad censorship: pic.twitter.com/0Rbanpf0dn
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) May 2, 2017
The Trump campaign hammered CNN for the decision not to air the ad in a press release blasted out Tuesday morning that called CNN “fake news” — the very term to which the network objected. (RELATED: CNN President Complains: ‘Journalism Is Threatened’ By Trump Administration)
“It is absolutely shameful to see the media blocking the positive message that President Trump is trying to share with the country. It’s clear that CNN is trying to silence our voice and censor our free speech because it doesn’t fit their narrative,” said Michael Glassner, the campaign’s executive director.
In response to CNN’s statement that the mainstream is not “fake news,” the campaign put out a second statement from Glassner.
“This is censorship pure and simple. By rejecting our ad, CNN has proven that it supports censorship is biased and fears an opposing point of view. President Trump’s loyal supporters know the truth: The mainstream media mislead, misguide, deceive, and distract,” Glassner said. “CNN epitomizes the meaning of fake news and has proven it by rejecting our paid campaign ad.”
The campaign spent $1.5 million on the ad, which highlighted Trump’s successful nomination of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, as well as the president’s tax plan.
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This article has been updated to include CNN’s response and the campaign’s second statement.