GOP lawmaker blasts CNN for refusing to air Trump ad

The chairman of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee blasted CNN in a House floor speech Wednesday for refusing to air a Trump campaign ad.

Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), who regularly delivers House floor speeches critical of the mainstream media, accused CNN of blocking free speech.

“Are we losing our democracy?” Smith asked. 

{mosads}“CNN has censored and refused to air an ad by Trump for President claiming that it is inaccurate. Of course, that’s their opinion and they are entitled to it. What they are not entitled to is to violate the Constitution’s protection of free speech,” he said.

CNN refused to air the Trump reelection campaign ads because it refers to the media as “fake news.”

“CNN requested that the advertiser remove the false graphic that says mainstream media is ‘fake news,'” CNN’s public relations department tweeted Tuesday.

“The mainstream media is not fake news, and therefore the ad is false. Per our policy, it will be accepted only if that graphic is deleted. Those are the facts.”

The ad, released two days after President Trump’s 100th day in office, touted the president’s accomplishments by claiming that “America has rarely seen such success.” It cites the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, eliminated regulations and Trump’s proposed tax cut.

“You wouldn’t know it from watching the news,” a narrator says as the words “FAKE NEWS” appear over an image of prominent news anchors.

Earlier Wednesday, the Trump campaign issued a press release announcing the ad had received more than 1.5 million views on Facebook and YouTube.

“The American people have fought back against CNN’s censorship,” Michael Glassner, the Trump campaign’s executive director, said in a statement.

Smith chairs the Media Fairness Caucus, which his office describes as meant to “examine the causes of one-sided reporting” and “develop strategies to combat media bias.” 

Smith urged people in a January House floor speech to “get your news directly from the president” because “it might be the only way to get the unvarnished truth.”