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NY Times, Oct. 14, 2019
Macabre Video of Fake Trump Shooting Media and Critics Is Shown at His
Resort
By Michael S. Schmidt and Maggie Haberman
WASHINGTON — A video depicting a macabre scene of a fake President Trump
shooting, stabbing and brutally assaulting members of the news media and
his political opponents was shown at a conference for his supporters at
his Miami resort last week, according to footage obtained by The New
York Times.
Several of Mr. Trump’s top surrogates — including his son Donald Trump
Jr., his former spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the governor of
Florida, Ron DeSantis — were scheduled to speak at the three-day
conference, which was held by a pro-Trump group, American Priority, at
Trump National Doral Miami. Ms. Sanders and a person close to Mr.
Trump’s son said on Sunday that they did not see the video at the
conference.
The video, which includes the logo for Mr. Trump’s 2020 re-election
campaign, comprises a series of internet memes. The most violent clip
shows Mr. Trump’s head superimposed on the body of a man opening fire
inside the “Church of Fake News” on parishioners who have the faces of
his critics or the logos of media organizations superimposed on their
bodies. It appears to be an edited scene of a church massacre from the
2014 dark comedy film “Kingsman: The Secret Service.”
The disclosure that the video was played shows how Mr. Trump’s
anti-media language has influenced his supporters and bled into their
own propaganda. Mr. Trump has made attacks on the news media a mainstay
of his presidency, and he tweeted a similar — but far less violent video
— in 2017. In recent weeks as he has confronted impeachment proceedings,
he has ramped up his attacks on the news media, repeatedly calling it
the “enemy of the people.”
A person who attended the conference last week took a video of the clip
on his phone and had an intermediary send it to a reporter for The
Times. Parts of the video were posted on YouTube in 2018 by a user with
a history of creating pro-Trump mash-ups.
The organizer of the event said in a statement on Sunday that the clip
had been played at the conference, saying it was part of a “meme
exhibit.” He denounced the video and said his organization was looking
into how it was shown at the event.
“Content was submitted by third parties and was not associated with or
endorsed by the conference in any official capacity,” said the
organizer, Alex Phillips. “American Priority rejects all political
violence and aims to promote a healthy dialogue about the preservation
of free speech. This matter is under review.”
Organizers declined to say exactly where at Mr. Trump’s resort the video
was shown.
A person close to Mr. Trump’s son said he was unaware that the video had
been played at the conference. Ms. Sanders said she was unaware of the
video’s existence until a Times reporter contacted her.
“I was there to speak at a prayer breakfast, where I spoke about unity
and bringing the country together,” Ms. Sanders said. “I wasn’t aware of
any video, nor do I support violence of any kind against anyone.”
A spokesman for Mr. Trump’s campaign said he knew nothing about the video.
“That video was not produced by the campaign, and we do not condone
violence,” said Tim Murtaugh, the spokesman.
A DeSantis spokeswoman did not respond to an email seeking comment.
The video depicts a scene inside the “Church of Fake News,” where
parishioners rise as Mr. Trump — dressed in a black pinstripe suit and
tie — walks down the aisle. Many parishioners’ faces have been replaced
with the logos of news media organizations, including PBS, NPR,
Politico, The Washington Post and NBC.
Mr. Trump stops in the middle of the church, pulls a gun out of his suit
jacket pocket and begins a graphic rampage. As the parishioners try to
flee, the president fires at them. He shoots Black Lives Matter in the
head, and also shoots Vice News.
Some of those in the church try to apprehend Mr. Trump. He fends them
off and makes his way toward the altar, knocking over several pews. He
wrestles a parishioner with a Vice News logo as a face to the ground and
then shoots the person at point blank range. In the background, the
former F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, is seen trying to get away.
From there, Mr. Trump attacks a range of his critics. He strikes the
late Arizona senator John McCain in the back of the neck. He hits the
television personality Rosie O’Donnell in the face and then stabs her in
the head. He strikes Representative Maxine Waters, Democrat of
California. He lights the head of Senator Bernie Sanders, a Democratic
presidential rival, on fire.
He takes Senator Mitt Romney, Republican of Utah, hostage before
throwing him to the ground. Then he strikes former President Barack
Obama in the back and throws him against a wall.
Others shown in the video include Mika Brzezinski of MSNBC; former
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; former President Bill Clinton; the
film producer Harvey Weinstein; and Representative Adam B. Schiff, the
California Democrat who as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee
is overseeing an impeachment inquiry of Mr. Trump.
The clip ends with Mr. Trump putting a stake into the head of a person
with a CNN logo for a face. Mr. Trump then stands on the altar, admiring
his rampage, and smiles.
The video is similar in style to one Mr. Trump tweeted in July 2017, in
which he is shown at a wrestling match body slamming CNN’s logo and
beating it up. The president was roundly criticized for encouraging
violence against journalists by posting that clip, but his supporters
enjoyed it, and helped make the tweet viral.
Throughout his 2016 campaign and presidency, Mr. Trump has sought to
demonize the news media, partly out of frustration about the coverage of
his administration and partly because he likes to have an opponent to
target. Mr. Trump has also sought to undermine confidence in the
mainstream media, some of his advisers acknowledge privately, to make
people doubt the accuracy of less favorable accounts of what goes on in
his administration.
The president said at a rally on Friday that there was an “unholy
alliance of corrupt Democrat politicians, deep-state bureaucrats and the
fake news media.”
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