![CNN Center in Atlanta on August 10, 2014. The CNN Center is the world headquarters of CNN. [Shutterstock - f11photo]](https://images.dailycaller.com/image/width=960,height=411,fit=cover,f=auto/https://cdn01.dailycaller.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/shutterstock_209605030-e1499637254163.jpg "CNN Center in Atlanta on August 10, 2014. The CNN Center is the world headquarters of CNN. [Shutterstock - f11photo]")
CNN sparked a backlash Tuesday night after threatening to identify the Reddit user who claimed to have created a meme of Donald Trump body-slamming the CNN logo that the president later shared on Twitter.
CNN targeted Reddit user HanAssholeSolo because he took credit for the video and apparently had a history of making racist and anti-Semitic remarks online.
CNN reporter Andrew Kaczynski opted not to identify the user “because he is a private citizen who has issued an extensive statement of apology, showed his remorse by saying he has taken down all his offending posts, and because he said he is not going to repeat this ugly behavior on social media again.”
But Kaczynski then added that “CNN reserves the right to publish his identity should any of that change,” seemingly indicating that CNN would identify the user if he repeats his “ugly behavior” on social media. That sentence was widely interpreted as a threat. Kaczynski, who disputed that characterization, seemed especially upset that the Reddit user “was someone who shared an image of CNN reporters’ face with Stars of David next them.”
Kaczynski stated that the Reddit user’s public apology came after CNN identified and reached out to him.
News aggregator Matt Drudge quickly highlighted the story on his site, the Drudge Report, captioning it: “CNN Declines to ID Because He’s ‘Taken Down All Offending Posts.”‘ (RELATED: Media Horrified After Trump Tweets Video Body-Slamming CNN)
“Trump was bad. CNN is worse: CNN threatens amateur satirist behind Trump video: make fun of us again and we dox you,” WikiLeaks wrote on Twitter.
“I can’t emphasize how bad this is on CNN’s part,” wrote German Lopez, a reporter for liberal website Vox. “This is basically ‘don’t post stuff we don’t like or we’ll dox you.’ Extremely unethical.”
“That’s essentially blackmail. That’s CNN stating that it will out the guy if he dares to defy their political perspective or offends them sufficiently,” wrote conservative commentator Ben Shapiro. “The whole story is frightening, and obviously an attempt to both nail Trump and discourage people from smacking CNN.”
Others leveled similar criticisms at CNN for the piece, with many using the hashtag #CNNBlackmail, which quickly became the top trending hashtag on Twitter.
Republican congressman Scott Taylor was among those accusing CNN of committing blackmail. “Pretty sure a line is crossed here,” he added.
@CNN U basically coerce apology & threaten release of identity if something changes? Pretty sure a line is crossed here. #CNNBlackmail https://t.co/k4W9AepP6W
— Scott Taylor (@Scotttaylorva) July 5, 2017
Don’t worry @KFILE, if you start deleting your tweets I’ve saved them for you. #urwelcome #CNNBlackmail
— Tammy Bruce (@HeyTammyBruce) July 5, 2017
The history books will show that on #july4th2017 CNN blackmailed someone who made a joke gif about them. #CNNBlackmail
— Mark Dice (@MarkDice) July 5, 2017
Maybe this #CNNBlackmail is a great Independence Day lesson about the danger of power and how little you should trust the powerful.
— Jesse Kelly (@JesseKellyDC) July 5, 2017
Trump was bad. CNN is worse: CNN threatens amateur satirist behind Trump video: make fun of us again and we dox you https://t.co/KiKX1Gexyu pic.twitter.com/lqpmFHEsYc
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) July 5, 2017
Is that normal? Is @CNN essentially threatening to dox him, or am I reading that wrong? pic.twitter.com/7LMMqo1fK5
— Philip DeFranco (@PhillyD) July 5, 2017
@CNN Stop. Rewind. Go back. Do not threaten to dox people in your articles because, like, I’m a big believer in news media but that’s effed.
— Hank Green (@hankgreen) July 5, 2017
Note to CNN: random guy making memes isn’t the story, *the President using those memes* is.
But this threat from you is now the story.
smh pic.twitter.com/dbnZ0x9jop— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) July 5, 2017
To be clear: A guy has an anonymous account and posts stupid shit. CNN threatens an avalanche of bad publicity if he ever posts again. WOW.
— Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) July 5, 2017
Can someone explain to me why it’s cool for CNN to go hunting down name/ID of a random anon who made a Reddit GIF?
— Jeff B/DDHQ (@EsotericCD) July 5, 2017
This is why you’re hated, media. pic.twitter.com/oWn5RYEk6M
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) July 5, 2017
Hey @CNN, got a spicy meme, but should I get your approval before I post? Wouldn’t want you to threaten to dox my family if you don’t.
— Brittany Pettibone (@BrittPettibone) July 5, 2017
Wow, classy move here by @CNN. Threatening to dox a guy over a gif. Wait who’s the child again? Thought that was Trump. @KFILE pic.twitter.com/cyJsFz0h7P
— Rachel Stoltzfoos (@RachelStoltz) July 5, 2017
This is the media putting itself in the way of what should have been a far more important “Why is the President doing this” story. https://t.co/D1fdiU9Ksy
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) July 5, 2017
CNN & @KFILE are threatening to doxx a random guy tho created a gif but go on about brave gatekeepers. This isn’t journalism pic.twitter.com/lrXpCYnx0A
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) July 5, 2017
The CNN threat shows the primary concern of the establishment media is policing the public, not informing us
— Scott Greer (@ScottMGreer) July 5, 2017
When Trump goes low CNN goes lower: threatens to dox artist behind “CNN head” video if he makes fun of them again https://t.co/Ka4R1fFEWa pic.twitter.com/82eWSmWtLf
— Julian Assange (@JulianAssange) July 5, 2017
“We’ll hold his identity as long as he seems penitent” is not a good look. https://t.co/qDnOjaRC32
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) July 5, 2017
The optics of this are extraordinarily terrible for @CNN. Hunting down individuals expressing their free speech for trashing them? Fascists. https://t.co/CCq5jL7FA8
— Elliott Hamilton (@ElliottRHams) July 5, 2017
Wow CNN basically admits it dox’ed this guy. Didn’t publish his name (but identified his IRL name just as bad). Wow. https://t.co/asN5HNuYzI
— Chris Mattmann (@chrismattmann) July 5, 2017
Has @CNN made any effort to dox violent Antifas? Yeah, yeah; rhetorical question.
— David Reaboi (@davereaboi) July 5, 2017
@cnn‘s behavior toward some random Reddit poster is evidence of why people hate them. Reap the whirlwind, you evil bastards. You deserve it.
— Michael Berry (@MichaelBerrySho) July 5, 2017
Uh. CNN shouldn’t reveal this guy’s personal information regardless of whether he did any of this stuff. pic.twitter.com/XC47MDXg3L
— German Lopez (@germanrlopez) July 5, 2017
I can’t emphasize how bad this is on CNN’s part. This is basically “don’t post stuff we don’t like or we’ll dox you.” Extremely unethical. pic.twitter.com/5bJZIZasH0
— German Lopez (@germanrlopez) July 5, 2017
Holy shit, CNN. WTF is this? pic.twitter.com/xpgSRK2Cwq
— T. Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) July 5, 2017
CNN denied that they blackmailed HanAssholeSolo.
“CNN decided not to publish the name of the Reddit user out of concern for his safety. Any assertion that the network blackmailed him or coerced him is false. The user, who is an adult male, not a 15-year-old boy, apologized and deleted his account before ever speaking with our reporters,” the network said in a statement Wednesday morning, leaving out the fact that the apology came after being contacted by CNN reporters, even if before any conversations took place. “CNN never made any deal, of any kind, with the user. In fact, CNN included its decision to withhold the user’s identity in an effort to be completely transparent that there was no deal.”
The backlash against CNN’s coverage of an anonymous Reddit user is just the latest in a string of bad publicity for the media company.
CNN recently fired hosts Kathy Griffin and Reza Aslan after each launched off-color attacks on Trump. Griffin held a photo shoot that featured a mock beheading of the president, while Aslan called Trump a “piece of shit.” (RELATED: CNN Host Who Ate Human Brain Says Trump Is An ‘Embarrassment To Humankind’)
CNN was forced to correct and rewrite an anonymously-sourced story that claimed James Comey would debunk Trump’s statement that Comey thrice assured him that he was not under FBI investigation. (Comey confirmed, rather than refuted, Trump’s statement.)
Just weeks later, CNN retracted, deleted and then apologized for, a single-sourced story that claimed Trump adviser Anthony Scaramucci was the subject of investigation as part of the Senate’s Russia probe. Scaramucci reportedly threatened to sue CNN for $100 million if they didn’t retract the story. Two CNN editors and a reporter resigned over their role in the botched story. (RELATED: CNN’s Month-Long Nightmare)
Activist James O’Keefe then began releasing a series of undercover videos targeting CNN employees. One CNN producer agreed with Trump’s sentiment that the Trump-Russia stories are largely a “witch hunt,” while another was caught making disparaging comments about White House counselor Kellyanne Conway’s face.
WATCH THE BEST OF CNN-TRUMP MEMES
This story has been updated with additional information, including CNN’s statement.
