CNN chyron says ‘nah’ to Trump claim about Russia

CNN on Friday pushed back against President Trump’s often-repeated claim that he has been tough on Russia, with the channel running a chyron that stated: “Trump says he’s been tough on Russia. Nah.”

The on-screen banner was visible on Friday afternoon during host Brianna Keilar’s segment on “CNN Right Now.”

#nah @brikeilarcnn pic.twitter.com/dWUbydjnsU

— Lauren Cone (@LConeCNN) July 31, 2020

Keilar during the segment cited “37 times that the president has been soft on Russia,” pointing to a running list on CNN’s website.

The network’s list includes entries such as “Trump suggested Russia can keep Crimea,” which cited remarks he made in 2014, and “Trump aides softened GOP platform on Ukraine,” pointing to efforts by campaign aides to change the GOP platform at the 2016 Republican National Convention.

Keilar on Friday began by saying that “the president is seemingly smitten with the Russian president,” before playing a series of clips showing Trump calling Russian President Vladimir Putin “nice” and a “strong leader.” She then focused on a series of Trump’s actions related to Russia during his tenure.

To defend his inaction about the Russian Bounties, Trump says he’s been tougher on Russia than any president. This is a false narrative. @brikeilarcnn highlighted some of Trump’s most egregious “soft on Russia” moments. Here’s my story with 37 examples –> https://t.co/3gWqYMBioq pic.twitter.com/ptGvAEnD8J

— Marshall Cohen (@MarshallCohen) July 31, 2020

Trump and CNN have often had a combative relationship during his presidency, with the president regularly accusing the network of being “fake news” and certain hosts vocally criticizing his actions.

Throughout his presidency, Trump has also regularly dismissed the investigation by former Special Counsel Robert Mueller that indicated Russian interference in the 2016 election, calling it a “hoax.”

Keilar ended Friday’s segment by noting that Trump recently confirmed he did not confront Putin with intelligence reports that Russian units had paid Taliban-linked militants to attack U.S. troops in Afghanistan. She also noted Trump’s move to pull nearly 12,000 U.S. troops from Germany, which sparked bipartisan backlash.

“So has the president been soft on Russia? Well the answer is yes, at least 37 times yes,” she concluded.