CNN ran the chyron “Trump Vindictive at Impeachment Acquittal ‘Celebration'” during a White House event to mark his victory this week in the impeachment fight — and years of investigation before that.
The event, where Trump spoke extemporaneously for over an hour, featured several jabs at those who attempted to take down his administration — but also many jokes, and warm plaudits for his supporters.
CNN also ran a chyron that read “Trump Speaks After Impeachment Acquittal,” but alternated it with the other chyron. MSNBC described the event as”Trump Speaks After Senate Impeachment Acquittal.” Fox News ran the chyron: “President Trump Makes Remarks on Senate Impeachment Acquittal.”
The president was relatively lenient on the media in the room, noting that they had largely run headlines reading “Trump Acquitted,” including in the Washington Post, whose front page he held aloft.
Trump spoke candidly, expressing relief and amusement, as well as lingering frustration about how he believed his young administration had been treated.
He also predicted that House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) would be elected Speaker of the House in 2021 as a result of the impeachment — and a backlash that had united the Republican Party nationwide.
The president noted his administration’s achievements, but lamented that so much effort had been wasted on the impeachment, noting that “what we could do working with both parties would be unbelievable.”
And he added: “I want to apologize to my family for having to have them go through a phony, rotten deal by some very sick people.”
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News. He earned an A.B. in Social Studies and Environmental Science and Public Policy from Harvard College, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. He is also the co-author of How Trump Won: The Inside Story of a Revolution, which is available from Regnery. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.