CNN took apart Trump’s attempt to blame Obama for his Muslim ban, as anchor Brianna Keilar came prepared with facts when confronted with Trump talking points.
Video:
Republican National Committee member Randy Evans tried to tell CNN’s Brianna Keilar that the Muslim ban was not anti-Muslim, “It’s not anti-Muslim. There are over forty other countries that aren’t on the list. This is seven specific countries that were identified by the Obama administration representing risk and the purpose of the order was to say we’re not going to take more risk with American lives. It may inconvenience a few dozen travelers here and there, but if it saves one American life.”
Keilar saw through the flaw in the Trump talking point, “But you’re making quite a cognitive leap between saying that there were seven countries identified as having serious internal issues with terrorism and then going to what is a travel ban. That list was not an execution of what Donald Trump has done.”
Evans responded by moving on to claiming that the word Muslim doesn’t appear anywhere in the Executive Order.
Keilar replied, “Well, religion does. Religion does appear on the order. In fact, when I look at it here on page four it says to prioritize refugee claims on the basis of religious based persecution provided that the religion of the individual is a minority religion in the individual’s country of nationality. In Syria, that would specifically highlight Christians. Even though in a number of countries in this ban you actually have way more Christians who have been given refugee status than when you look at the population.”
CNN demonstrated how the press should handle the incoherent cover story that the Trump administration has concocted to try to pass the blame on to President Obama for their unpopular Muslim ban.
Yes, the ban is a ban, and yes, it does target Muslims. No, it did not come from President Obama.
The Trump administration has declared itself at war with the press, which has caused the media to sharpen their approach and not let the administration repeat talking points without a challenge.
If the entire press treats the Trump administration in this manner for the next four years, President Trump will have a much more difficult path in 2020.