Advertisement

Donald Trump rages in CNN meltdown over Obama ‘birther’ issue

Share

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Donald Trump is seething over the President Obama “birther” issue — and the latest target of his wrath is CNN.

In an interview Tuesday, the real estate magnate and “Celebrity Apprentice” overseer got into a war of words with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, castigating the network for what he dubbed “inaccurate” reporting and ridiculing its low ratings.

Advertisement

At one point, Blitzer said that Trump was beginning to sound ridiculous. “I think you sound ridiculous,” Trump shot back via telephone.

Trump has been a leading proponent of the theory that Obama either was not or may not have been born in the U.S. This view is a focal point of attacks on the administration from some critics, although the state of Hawaii has offered documents that say Obama was indeed born there. Most leading GOP politicians have shied away from the issue, but it persists, particularly at a grass-roots level. Trump is keeping the issue alive even as he brandishes his support for the presumed Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney.

“A lot of people do not believe that birth certificate,” Trump told Blitzer.

The mogul also trashed CNN’s reported summary that led in to the interview, calling it “highly inappropriate.” Trump said that if CNN would report the issue accurately, the network would draw “better ratings than you’re getting, which are pretty small.” Last week, CNN sank to its lowest prime-time audience levels in more than 20 years.

It’s been quite the ride for Trump the past few days, with sharp attacks from both the right and the left. On Sunday’s “This Week” on ABC, conservative columnist George Will called the mogul “a bloviating ignoramus.”

RELATED:

Jon Stewart to Donald Trump: You’re fired

Piers Morgan jokes about CNN’s low ratings

Donald Trump talks politics, new “Celebrity Apprentice”

Advertisement

— Scott Collins (twitter.com/scottcollinsLAT)

Advertisement