US President Donald Trump tweeted a video on Sunday showing him knocking down and beating a professional wrestling “villain” whose face had been replaced by a CNN logo.
The 10-year-old video, hailing back to Trump’s days as a guest celebrity at pro-wrestling events, came after a week in which his unrestrained Twitter attacks on two MSNBC talk show hosts drew widespread condemnation from members of both political parties.
In the 28-second video, Trump, dressed in a suit, is seen knocking down another man in a suit who is standing next to a wrestling ring. Trump then pummels the man, whose face is covered by the CNN logo, repeatedly over the head.
At the end of the video, a fake CNN logo appears in the lower right corner of the screen with the words “FNN: Fraud News Network.”
A longer version of the same video found online shows that the man knocked down was World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) owner-promoter Vince McMahon, a friend of Trump’s.
In the longer version, McMahon next appears in a chair in the middle of the ring, his wrists being tied down as Trump takes an electric razor to shave McMahon’s head bald.
The stunt was part of a promotion at the WrestleMania 23 event dubbed “The Battle of the Billionaires,” with each man agreeing to let the other shave his head if his wrestler lost.
Watch video below:
https://twitter.com/_/status/881503147168071680