Did CNN commit a crime in finding the creator of the Trump ‘Wrestlemania’ Tweet?

  As you all know by now the mainstream media went into full meltdown mode after Donald Trump retweeted a gif in which the President attacked CNN in a Wrestlemania video last Monday.

  As it was their logo which was superimposed on the head of the victim CNN took the tweet exceedingly hard, eventually tracking down the creator of the gif and allegedly threatening to dox him if he did not apologize and then bragged about it on air.

  Here is part of the statement CNN released:

CNN has stated that it will not publish the man’s name “because he is a private citizen who has issued an extensive statement of apology, showed his remorse by saying he has taken down all his offending posts, and because he said he is not going to repeat this ugly behavior on social media again,” but added, “CNN reserves the right to publish his identity should any of that change.”

And here is CNN bragging on air about it:

“Something remarkable, I thought, happened yesterday. I thought it was remarkable that CNN found the Reddit user who created the gif of Donald Trump and the wrestling video and where he punches CNN. So the investigative team went back and found the guy who first created this, who took credit for it—and then here comes the remarkable part: he apologized. He apologized for having done this…

“The reason that I think this is so notable, Chris Cillizza, is because this is a very full-throated, I think, genuine, honest apology. He has also asked that we not reveal his name or whereabouts and we at CNN are honoring that because he’s apologized and he thinks that he would then be in danger and at risk if other people knew his name. We get it. We understand that. So I don’t know, I just think that this is just a very interesting addendum to this whole story.”

  I also think this is a “very interesting addendum to this whole story” albeit most likely for a different reason: I think it is interesting and troubling the CNN would go to this length to out a user who posted a satire video just because they do not like the President or his supporters.

  CNN is claiming the network did not contact the creator of the gif until after he had already apologized and did not blackmail him into an apology however it certainly seems as if the network did try to intimidate him by saying they “reserve the right” to out him if he does this again.

  CNN‘s statement that they “reserve the right” to dox him if he continues to post things on Twitter which they do not like is chilling and astonishing. Publishing this man’s personal information to violent #nevertrumpers who have already taken up arms against Republicans simply for political disagreements is beyond irresponsible and reprehensible.

  This has blown up in the face of CNN big time and now Ted Cruz is suggesting the network my have committed a crime, here is what he tweeted today:

  And as if CNN was not already having a bad enough week Buzzfeed (take it for what it is worth) is now reporting CNN might have the wrong guy.

malo periculosam libertatem quam quietum servitium