CNN boycotts Trump’s epic 46-minute ‘propaganda’ speech

The network’s White House correspondent said Trump’s address included ‘the same lies’

Donald Trump delivered a surprise speech on Wednesday that reporters and American networks condemned, and some would not show audiences, because it included baseless attacks on the election process.  

CNN's chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta described the US president’s speech, which was posted on social media, as a “propaganda video,”  and declined to broadcast any snippets.

“We are not showing you any excerpts because the allegations made by the president have been rejected in the courts as well as by state election officials from both parties,” said Mr Acosta.

The CNN correspondent, who was on air when the 46-minute White House video was posted online, noted that the president’s own Attorney General, William Barr, had ruled on Monday that the election was not rigged.

That Department of Homeland Security and its cybersecurity agency, meanwhile, had already said the election was “the most secure in history”.

“[This is] essentially a propaganda video on Facebook repeating some of the same lies he and his team have told time and again about the election results," Mr Acosta told CNN’s audience.

CNN news anchor Erin Burnett also declined to show Mr Trump’s speech because to do so would “amplify things that are factually untrue, and the president knows to be factually untrue,” she said.

Mr Trump, who has denied the election result, alleged votes were “stolen”, and failed to overturn results through the courts, had labelled the speech as “maybe the most important speech I’ve ever made”.

He then alleged the same false statements he has aired since the election was lost to Joe Biden, last month.