CNN said Tuesday that is refusing to air a campaign ad from President Trump because the spot refers to the media as "fake news."
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 mainstream media is not fake news, and therefore the ad is false. Per our policy, it will be accepted only if that graphic is deleted. Those are the facts."
As The Hill reports, the ad, released by the Trump campaign on Monday, dismisses questions about whether the administration's first 100 days lived up to the president's promises on the campaign trail.
After ratting off a list of successes—including the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, authorization of the Keystone XL Pipeline and eliminated regulations—the ad blames the media for hiding those accomplishments.
"You wouldn't know that from watching the news," the narrator says as a group of cable news reporters—including CNN's Wolf Blitzer—appear on the screen.
The Trump campaign in a statement to reporters earlier Tuesday morning accused the network of stifling free speech.
“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," Michael Glassner, the Trump campaign's executive director, said.