Former President Donald Trump recently shared a doctored clip that depicted CNN's Anderson Cooper as if he were mocking the network amid the critical public reaction it received for the broadcast.
The manipulated clip, which was initially shared by Donald Trump Jr., was re-shared by Trump on his media platform, Truth Social on Friday, May 12.
It features the CNN anchor saying, “That was President Donald J. Trump ripping us a new a** here on CNN’s live presidential town hall. “Thank you for watching, have a good night.”
The clip comes as CNN faces severe backlash for airing the segment. However, CNN executives have defended their leadership insisting that it was necessary to address the Republican presidential frontrunner and inquire about the many false claims he has circulated in recent months.
Despite the stark criticism the network has faced, Cooper did address the concerns on-air Thursday evening.
Although Trump is not a fan-favorite for CNN viewers and Cooper admitted that he "understands the anger," he defended the network's decision to broadcast the Town Hall event. Cooper also attempted to appeal to his audience with an example to explain the significance of embarking on uncharted territory.
“You have every right to be outraged today and angry and never watch this network again,” Cooper said. “But do you think staying in your silo and only listening to people you agree with is going to make that person go away?”