Yes
I do.
No
I don’t.
President Donald Trump and members of his family have had a long-running and often contentious relationship with CNN, with disputes frequently centered on whether the network’s reporting fairly represents the president, his administration and people close to him.
That disagreement has received renewed attention as CNN continues reporting on members of the Trump family and their business and political activities. One recent controversy involved Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, after CNN examined Kushner’s private investment interests while he has also been involved in diplomatic efforts.
The report focused in part on Kushner’s private-equity firm, Affinity Partners, and its investment in Phoenix Financial, an Israeli financial company that holds investments in businesses supplying equipment to Israel’s military. CNN’s reporting did not establish that Kushner personally directed those investments or that his diplomatic activities were influenced by them.
Kushner strongly disputed the way the situation was presented, arguing that the coverage created a misleading impression about his involvement. He said he does not control Phoenix Financial’s individual investment decisions and pushed back against suggestions that his diplomatic work and private financial interests were improperly connected.
The disagreement comes during a much broader confrontation between President Trump and several major news organizations. Trump has repeatedly accused CNN and other outlets of publishing inaccurate or unfair coverage about him. In September, Trump announced that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would lose White House access, citing what he described as years of inaccurate reporting. A federal judge subsequently temporarily blocked that action and ordered the administration to restore access, finding that the news organizations were likely to succeed on constitutional arguments challenging the restrictions.
Trump’s supporters often argue that major news organizations scrutinize the president and his family more aggressively than they do other political figures. Critics of Trump counter that tough reporting on powerful public figures is an essential function of an independent press and that disagreements over coverage do not necessarily make reporting false.
That leaves Americans with a broader question about trust in political journalism and whether Trump’s criticism of CNN is justified.