CNN reporter Jennifer Hansler attacked President Trump today for tweeting about an apparent terror attack in London while the investigation was still underway.
However, CNN itself was reporting the incident as a terrorist attack before Trump tweeted. Further, UK authorities had indeed already announced that they were treating the incident as a terror attack.
Wrote Hansler:
In addition to declaring the incident a “terrorist attack” before officials in London, Trump said the perpetrators are “animals.”
President Donald Trump seizes on what he calls a "terrorist attack" in London, even though the incident is still in the early stages of investigation https://t.co/z2qEYHryeF pic.twitter.com/AatPX4wZsh
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) August 14, 2018
Trump tweets on London 'terrorist attack' as investigation gets underway @CNNPolitics https://t.co/t5cFRueBAb
— Jennifer Hansler (@jmhansler) August 14, 2018
According to CNN:
President Donald Trump on Tuesday again seized on what he called a “terrorist attack” in London to call for tougher anti-terror measures, even though the incident was still in the early stages of investigation.
“Another terrorist attack in London…These animals are crazy and must be dealt with through toughness and strength!,” the US President tweeted.
Metropolitan Police in London were investigating the event — in which a car crashed into security barriers outside of the Houses of Parliament during rush hour Tuesday morning — as a terrorist incident. The driver, a man in his late 20’s, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of terrorist offenses. He was alone in the car and no weapons were recovered at the scene.
This is the Trump tweet in question:
Another terrorist attack in London…These animals are crazy and must be dealt with through toughness and strength!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2018
Remarkably, Hansler’s article acknowledges that the suspect had been arrested on suspicion of terrorist offenses. In her very first sentence, Hansler also links to another CNN article that was headlined: “Crash outside UK Houses of Parliament treated as terror incident, police say.”
President Trump tweeted his remarks at 7:42 a.m. ET. CNN had promoted its story about the attack being treated as a terror incident nearly an hour before Trump’s tweet:
London crash to be treated as terrorist incident – story by @CNN https://t.co/NlBTz1xiVB
— Lucy May (@LucyMayCincy) August 14, 2018
Hours before Trump, other media outlets were reporting on statements by the London Metropolitan Police that the incident was being treated as a terror attack. For example, the BBC describes it as a terrorist attack based on police statements (5:36am ET):
#Westminster car crash is being treated as terror attack, London police sayhttps://t.co/CprbiGZgrg
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) August 14, 2018
Also, the Associated Press (5:40 a.m. ET):
BREAKING: London's Metropolitan Police say they are treating crash outside of Parliament as a terrorist incident; man arrested.
— The Associated Press (@AP) August 14, 2018
The Latest: Police treat London crash as terrorist incident. https://t.co/AWOhztVFrG
— The Associated Press (@AP) August 14, 2018
More than 90 minutes before the president’s tweet (6:17 a.m. ET), even London Mayor Sadiq Khan stated the incident was being treated as a terrorist act:
A man has been arrested after a car was driven into barriers outside the Houses of Parliament. Police have confirmed that the incident is being treated as a terrorist act. All Londoners, like me, utterly condemn all acts of terrorism on our city. https://t.co/9gFu3HYtae
— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) August 14, 2018
So it’s just flat-out false when Hansler claims in her article:
In addition to declaring the incident a “terrorist attack” before officials in London, Trump said the perpetrators are “animals.”
What point was Hansler trying to make, exactly? Will CNN be issuing corrections and apologies?
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