Former Bush speechwriter: Trump’s tweets are a ‘direct attack’ on the safety of journalists

A speechwriter for former President George W. Bush said that President Trump’s attacks on CNN’s international bureau put journalists in danger.

David Frum, a former Bush speechwriter and senior editor at The Atlantic, tweeted Saturday that U.S.-affiliated journalists operating internationally depend on the U.S. government to protect them and their reporting, and that Trump jeopardizes that when he criticizes the network.

“Inside the US, CNN’s reporting is protected by the First Amendment and the courts,” Frum tweeted. “Outside the US, US-affiliated journalists do ultimately depend on the protection of the US government. Trump’s words are a direct attack on those international journalists’ freedom & even safety.”

Inside the US, CNN’s reporting is protected by the First Amendment and the courts. Outside the US, US-affiliated journalists do ultimately depend on the protection of the US government. Trump’s words are a direct attack on those international journalists’ freedom & even safety

— David Frum (@davidfrum) November 25, 2017

{mosads}Though Trump has feuded with CNN consistently throughout his campaign and presidency, he intensified his attacks in a tweet Saturday that specifically targeted the network’s international wing.

“Outside of the U.S., CNN International is still a major source of (Fake) news, and they represent our Nation to the WORLD very poorly,” Trump said.

.@FoxNews is MUCH more important in the United States than CNN, but outside of the U.S., CNN International is still a major source of (Fake) news, and they represent our Nation to the WORLD very poorly. The outside world does not see the truth from them!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 25, 2017

CNN reporters were quick to respond, telling Trump that their colleagues “risk their lives” covering famines, war and politics worldwide.

.@realDonaldTrump My @CNNi & @CNN colleagues regularly risk their lives in #Syria #Iraq #Afghanistan #Niger and beyond, following US Troops into war-zones, chronicling natural disasters, holding dictators to account & profiling everyday heroes. #FactsFirst https://t.co/A2qobamywz

— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) November 25, 2017

The network’s public relations team also responded, slamming the president’s comments by saying that it’s his job, not CNN’s, to “represent the U.S. to the world.”

It’s not CNN’s job to represent the U.S to the world. That’s yours. Our job is to report the news. #FactsFirst

— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) November 25, 2017