President Donald Trump and others who regard the “fake news” media as worthless might want to reconsider.
After all, someday the Museum of Why the Establishment Media Died will contain numerous exhibits courtesy of CNN.
Tuesday on CNN’s “Inside Politics” with host Dana Bash, fellow anchor Erin Burnett declared that in her experience, Iranians who chant “Death to America” also show a surprising friendliness.
Hang that one on the gallery wall.
Bash openly and awkwardly wondered aloud if the Trump-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Iran can endure as long as the current Iranian regime remains in place.
“But the question is whether or not the calm can remain,” Bash said in a clip posted to the social media platform X, “when the regime that is still there, who wants ‘Death to America,’ ‘Death to Israel,’ stays in place, and that is a part of the discussion, right?”
Reporting live from the United Arab Emirates, Burnett offered her take based on personal experience.
“I remember, Dana, at one point being in Tehran years ago,” Burnett replied, “and they’re chanting ‘Death to America’ all around me, even as I say, ‘Oh, I’m an American, reporting for CNN,’ and they were happy to speak to me.”
Perhaps those chanting “Death to America” wanted to speak to an American reporter simply to get their message on TV. After all, the residents of Tehran could not have known that no one watches CNN, right?
Burnett, however, drew a different conclusion.
“So those two sort of jarring realities of the chant and yet, the friendliness, have existed together,” she said.
CNN’s Erin Burnett says there’s a “friendliness” to Iranians who chant ‘Death to America’:
“I remember, Dana, one point being in Tehran years ago and they’re chanting death to America all around me, even as I say, ‘oh, I’m an American, reporting for CNN.’ And they were happy to… pic.twitter.com/nvQkD77cFD
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) June 24, 2025
Shortly before flying to the Netherlands on Tuesday morning, Trump took a well-deserved shot at CNN and MSNBC.
“You know, the fake news, like CNN in particular, they’re trying to say ‘Well, I agree that it was destroyed, but maybe not that destroyed,’” the president said in a clip posted to X, referring to the American bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities on Saturday.
“You know what they’re doing? They’re really hurting great pilots that put their lives on the line. CNN is scum, and so is MSDNC.”
NOW: Trump takes a FLAMETHROWER to CNN and ‘MSDNC’ over Iran strike coverage — “You’re gutless losers.”
???? President Trump just lit up the media.
He absolutely torched CNN, MSNBC over their downplaying of the U.S. airstrikes that obliterated Iran’s nuclear sites.
“You know,… pic.twitter.com/Yh65vDHbXb
— The Vigilant Fox ???? (@VigilantFox) June 24, 2025
Who knew that CNN would waste so little time in proving Trump’s point?
Meanwhile, some X users explained Burnett’s anecdote by pointing out that hostile Iranians and CNN actually share the same worldview.
CNN has also been chanting Death to America in it’s own way.
— Joel Patt (@JPoliticalChess) June 24, 2025
That’s because as soon as she said she was with CNN, they knew dhe viewed America the same way as an Iranian.
— Raymond Davis (@RaymondDavis79) June 24, 2025
Or, they understand that you aren’t really American because you also hate America. You are on the same side as them.
— Scott A Lavender (@scottalavender) June 24, 2025
Of course, many ordinary Iranians do not qualify as bloodthirsty lunatics. Otherwise, why suggest regime change via popular revolt?
Had Burnett simply noted that some Iranians treated her kindly, no one would have objected.
To say, however, that people who actively chanted “Death to America” also showed “friendliness”? No wonder so few people trust the “fake news.”
Come to think of it, that Museum of Why the Establishment Media Died will need many display cases, galleries, and floors to hold the volume of exhibits from CNN alone.
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