The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) on Sunday called on President Trump to denounce a video reportedly shown at a conservative conference that depicts him gunning down media organizations.
WHCA President Jon Karl issued a statement following a New York Times report that said the video was shown at an American Priority event over the weekend at Trump’s Doral resort in Miami.{mosads}
“The WHCA is horrified by a video reportedly shown over the weekend at a political conference organized by the President’s supporters at the Trump National Doral in Miami,” Karl said. “All Americans should condemn this depiction of violence directed toward journalists and the President’s political opponents.”
“We have previously told the President his rhetoric could incite violence,” Karl continued. “Now we call on him and everybody associated with this conference to denounce this video and affirm that violence has no place in our society.”
The video, which has been uploaded to YouTube and Twitter since the Times first reported on it, is taken from a clip of the film “Kingsman: The Secret Service,” and shows Trump’s head superimposed on the body of a character going on a violent rampage inside the “Church of Fake News.”
He is depicted gunning down and stabbing people with the faces of his critics and media organizations’ logos superimposed onto them. Among the outlets featured in the video are Politico, The Washington Post, NPR and The Hill.
Donald Trump Jr., former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) were among those scheduled to speak at the American Priority conference. The event’s organizer denounced the video and said his organization was looking into how it was shown at the event.
Trump has throughout his presidency derided the media, often singling out specific reporters and organizations for criticism. He labels coverage he dislikes “fake news” and has described certain organizations as the “enemy of the people.”
He has continued hammering the press despite those in the industry and in Congress warning that it could lead to violence, and even after one of his supporters mailed explosive devices to CNN and some of the president’s prominent critics.