CNN anchor Jim Acosta said Thursday on “The Situation Room” that former President Donald Trump claiming the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol was “a loving crowd” was “delusional.”
Discussing January 6 during an interview for the book “I Alone Can Fix It,” Trump said, “There was a lot of love. I’ve heard that from everybody. Many people told me that was a loving crowd.”
Acosta said, “I cannot get over how delusional this sounds. I mean, the lies. It’s just nuts. But does it sound like the former president is emboldened to spin even more outrageous lies about January 6th as time passes on the deadly attack? We see this video day after day. It sounds delusional to listen to what he is saying.”
CNN’s chief media correspondent Brian Stelter said, “Yeah, emboldened is the word. That is why this is relevant. We’ve seeing him over time dig in further and further. Lies on this level are like a power trip. They are a challenge to the audience. Lies on this level, delusions on this level, you know, you’re daring people not to believe their eyes and own ears. You are daring people to deny what they know to be true. When you challenge someone, when they go along with it, and they buy into your lies, you have power over them. It’s a propaganda technique that we’re seeing Trump employ in this situation. The more time goes on, the less these videos are seen on Fox, and the less are seen on Newsmax, and the memories do fade in right-wing media, and they fade in the rest of the country. But the memories are fading within the MAGA base, and so he’s able, I think, to exert more power by becoming more emboldened with the lies, Jim.”
Acosta said, “Yeah. He’s inviting his supporters to go and live in this cult-like alternate reality that he inhabits.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN