President Donald Trump hasn’t yet watched a violent video in which he’s depicted killing figures representing media outlets and his political rivals, but the White House says he “strongly condemns” it.
“Re: the video played over the weekend: The @POTUS @realDonaldTrump has not yet seen the video, he will see it shortly, but based upon everything he has heard, he strongly condemns this video,” press secretary Stephanie Grisham tweeted on Monday morning.
CNN called on Trump on Sunday night to denounce the parody video, which shows the president’s likeness shooting, stabbing and beating people.
“Sadly, this is not the first time that supporters of the President have promoted violence against the media in a video they apparently find entertaining — but it is by far and away the worst,” the network said. “The images depicted are vile and horrific. The President and his family, the White House, and the Trump campaign need to denounce it immediately in the strongest possible terms.”
The White House Correspondents’ Association also asked Trump “to denounce this video and affirm that violence has no place in our society.”
According to the New York Times, the video was shown last week at an American Priority conference for Trump supporters held at Trump’s golf resort in Doral, Fla.
The president wasn’t at the event, but his son, Donald Trump, Jr., and his former spokeswoman, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, were set to speak there.
Event organizer Alex Phillips told the Times that “content was submitted by third parties and was not associated with or endorsed by the conference in any official capacity.” He said the video was played as part of a “meme exhibit.”
According to the Times, the vile video depicts a scene from the 2014 film “Kingsman: The Secret Service.” Edited footage shows Trump’s face superimposed on a man walking inside the “Church of Fake News” and massacring victims whose faces are replaced by news organization logos — including CNN, The Washington Post, Politico and NPR — as well as Trump’s political opponents like Bernie Sanders, Adam Schiff, Bill and Hillary Clinton, President Barack Obama; entertainment figures such as a Harvey Weinstein and Rosie O’Donnell; and Republican critics, including Mitt Romney and John McCain.