A graphic mock-up video that depicts President Donald Trump massacring a church full of “fake news” promoters has been slammed by critics, including the White House Correspondents Association and comedian Kathy Griffin — who is among those slaughtered in the reel.
The video, a scene fromKingsman: The Secret Serviceedited to make it appear as though Trump is attacking his opponents, was shown at the three-day American Priority Conference at Trump’s Doral Miami resort.
The event was attended by the president’s son Donald Trump Jr. the former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, although it is not clear whether either of them saw the video being screened.
Appearing with his head superimposed on the body of actor Colin Firth, who appears in the Kingsman film as agent Harry Hart, the edited video depicts the president slaughtering his rivals inside a church of fake news. Those on the receiving end of the violence included former President Barack Obama, CNN host Rachel Maddow, comedian Kathy Griffin, Democrat Bernie Sanders, actor Rosie O’Donnell, and most mainstream news outlets.
“Im depicted as being murdered by The President of the United States in this video.The left, right & center left me hanging out to dry regarding the Trump mask photo.Please don’t let it happen again.No, this video isn’t a joke to his followers. And it will not be, ” Griffin said in a tweet following the video’s release, while Democrat Beto O’Rourke suggested the video could result in someone getting killed.
The White House Correspondents Associationtold UK newspaperThe Guardianit was “horrified” by the clip.
“All Americans should condemn this depiction of violence directed towards journalists and his political opponents,” it said. “We have previously told the president his rhetoric could incite violence. Now we call on him and everybody associated with this conference to denounce this video and affirm that violence has no place in our society.”
Tim Murtaugh, a spokesman for the campaign to re-elect Trump, said they had no knowledge of the video, and toldThe Timesthe video “was not produced by the campaign, and we do not condone violence.”
The organizers of the three-day conference said the video had been shown in a side room and that it had not been sanctioned by them.
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