CNN put out a statement slamming the White House after President Donald Trump’s rapid response team blasted White House correspondent Kristen Holmes on X. While Trump took questions from the Oval Office, Holmes asked him for his reaction to Sen. Jon Ossoff’s comment that the president would rather "build a ballroom and travel with [White House aide] Natalie [Harp]" than do his job as president. Trump replied by calling him "Pee-wee Herman."
The Rapid Response 47 account soon took aim at Holmes for invoking Ossoff's jab.
“@KristenhCNN is a disgraceful, humiliating embarrassment to her alleged profession,” it wrote on X. “@POTUS hosts a hero lifeguard in the Oval Office and she uses it as an opportunity to take a cheap shot about one of President Trump's staffers. These scumbags are the lowest of the low.”
Rapid Response 47 wrote in another post, “@KristenhCNN: Someday, your children will come across your disgusting and inhumane question. They will be sickened and embarrassed to have a parent be so callous and vindictive. It’s quite troubling.”
Trump himself lashed out at Holmes in a separate exchange during a meeting at the Oval Office while hosting Ryder Williams, the 16-year-old lifeguard who went viral for rescuing 10-year-old Nathaniel Rai from terrifying waves. As Holmes tried to ask another question, Trump repeatedly scolded her to be “quiet.”
"You’re very disrespectful in front of this young man. Don’t you find her disrespectful? He understands," Trump asked the 10-year-old sitting next to him. "Who are you with?"
"Fake News. You're fake news," Trump said to Holmes. "You're a loud, boisterous person. You're fake news. Be quiet!... You're a fake reporter and you report fake news!"
CNN later issued a statement on X, defending Holmes.
"Kristen Holmes is one of the most respected and accomplished journalists covering the White House," CNN wrote. "This afternoon, she did her job and asked the President of the United States a tough, relevant, and newsworthy question on behalf of the American people."
"Public officials are free to challenge reporting they disagree with, but personal attacks on journalists for asking questions are beneath the office and inconsistent with the principles of a free press. We stand firmly behind Kristen and reject these attacks in the strongest possible terms," the network added.
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More
