CNN’s ‘New Day’ Hits Trump for ‘Attacking the Press’ During Network Bomb Scare
CNN’s New York office was briefly evacuated Thursday evening after a bomb threat was called into the building
Jon Levine | December 7, 2018 @ 5:45 AM
Last Updated: December 7, 2018 @ 6:13 AM
CNN’s “New Day” opened Friday with news of a bomb scare which briefly resulted in the evacuation of the network’s New York bureau the previous night, with anchor John Berman calling out President Trump over a tweet blasting the media issued just moments before the incident.
“Before the building was evacuated, the president put out a statement, ‘fake news, the enemy of the people,'” Berman said. “That was not the cause of the threat. That came before his statement. He didn’t seem to know about the threat, but what is clear is that while this building was empty — with law enforcement making sure it didn’t blow up — there was this statement out there from the president attacking the press.”
Berman insisted that the CNN team would continue to report and said the best response to such threats would be to do the news. A statement from CNN boss Jeff Zucker issued early Friday morning thanked law enforcement for their prompt response but also pointedly avoided mentioning Trump or suggesting that the president’s anti-CNN rhetoric was responsible.
On Thursday evening, CNN and its home in New York’s Time Warner Center was evacuated after a call was received saying that there were up to five bomb located in the building. Anchor Don Lemon and his show abruptly cut out and were replaced by previously recorded footage of Anderson Cooper for about an hour. When Lemon returned he and Brian Stelter — who had been in a nearby Whole Foods store — reported from the street.
“About an hour ago, a call was made from the south … into the CNN offices in New York saying that there were several bombs inside of the building,” Lemon said. Police ultimately ruled the matter a false alarm and gave an all-clear for the building shortly before midnight Thursday.
It’s the second time in less than eight weeks that CNN’s New York headquarters has been the target of a bomb threat. On Oct. 24, an actual pipe bomb was mailed to CNN resulting in a similar of evacuation of the building that morning. The bomb was part of a spate of mail bombs sent out to prominent Democratic politicians and Trump critics over a weeklong period that month.
After that incident, CNN’s Jeff Zucker offered a far more robust statement, placing the blame squarely on President Trump’s rhetoric.
“There is a total and complete lack of understanding at the White House about the seriousness of their continued attacks on the media. The President, and especially the White House Press Secretary, should understand their words matter,” Zucker said. “Thus far, they have shown no comprehension of that.”
The Evolution of Roger Ailes, From 'The Mike Douglas Show' to Fox News Innovator (Photos)
The television executive has evolved from producing a talk-variety show to running one of the biggest satellite news television channel in the U.S.
Fox News
Born and raised in Ohio, Roger Ailes attended Ohio University as a young man, majoring in radio and television. During his time there, he served as station manager for the university's WOUB radio for two years.
Ohio University
Ailes worked his way up to executive producer on the syndicated daytime talk show "The Mike Douglas Show," which began as a local program in Cleveland before expanding nationwide.
Westinghouse Broadcasting Company
In 1968, Ailes got an Emmy nod when "The Mike Douglas Show" was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Daytime Programming, ultimately losing to NBC's "Today" show.
After first meeting Richard Nixon on the set of "The Mike Douglas Show," Ailes was hired by the then-presidential candidate to be his media advisor during the campaign, which marked his first professional foray into politics.
Ailes continued consulting on presidential campaigns, serving as media consultant for three successful Republicans: Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
Ailes produced the famous "revolving door" ad for Bush, which painted Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis as soft on crime. The piece was widely regarded as the most influential ad of the political cycle.
In 1988, Ailes co-authored a self-help book with Jon Kraushar. "You Are the Message" shared Ailes' tips for effective communication and public performances.
Simon and Schuster
In 1992, Ailes served as executive producer on a syndicated late-night talk show hosted by right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh, which ran for four years before coming to an end in 1996.
Ailes Productions
Ailes was named president of CNBC in 1993, where he launched the new cable network America's Talking, which was shut down and replaced with future Fox News competitor MSNBC.
America's Talking
Media mogul Rupert Murdoch hired Ailes to serve as founding CEO and Chariman of the Fox News Channel in 1996, which soon grew to become the most popular cable news network in the country.
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In 2016, Ailes was accused of sexual harassment by ousted Fox News host Gretchen Carlson. In July, Carlson filed a lawsuit against Ailes, claiming years of inappropriate behavior and sexual advances.
Getty Images
On July 20, 2016, Ailes was forced to resign from Fox News amid the growing outcry over the sexual harassment allegations.
Getty Images
Ailes died on May 18, 2017 at age 77.
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Roger Ailes, who died Thursday at age 77, began as a producer on a daytime show and went on to become a willy successful cable news network boss
The television executive has evolved from producing a talk-variety show to running one of the biggest satellite news television channel in the U.S.