GOP lawmaker to CNN: ‘You guys are getting played’

Rep. Scott Taylor (R-Va.) told CNN early Monday that the media is “getting played” by covering President Trump’s tweets.

The congressman said the media needs to cover “real issues” instead of Trump’s tweets when asked on CNN’s “New Day” about whether Trump should have tweeted out a video of himself attacking the news network on Sunday.

Trump tweeted a video of himself beating up a figure with the CNN logo superimposed over their face, receiving major backlash from lawmakers and journalists.

The video was sourced from an appearance Trump made at WWE’s Wrestlemania in 2007.

{mosads}“I think you guys are getting played, man,” Taylor said. “I think every time he does this you guys overreact — and by you guys I mean the media in general — and you play right into his hands.”

Taylor said Trump is able to use CNN’s negative coverage of himself to score political points.

Taylor also suggested that Trump was responding to CNN’s negative coverage of himself after host Alisyn Camerota showed that 92 of Trump’s tweets have been attacks on the media, compared to 29 about veterans or the military.

“What I would like you to do is the next segment you have put up the numbers of your negative coverage of the president as well too,” Taylor said.

“Congressman, that is a crazy suggestion,” Camerota said.

Taylor added that he would “prefer the president not make some of these tweets” but that he doesn’t believe most Americans think the tweet was inciting violence.