During the American Priority Conference at President Donald Trump's resort in Miami, a group of Trump supporters was shown a violent video depicting Trump shooting, stabbing, and otherwise murdering people and publications perceived to be his political enemies.
According to the officials at the conference, the video was in no way authorized or sanctioned by them, but was instead played by attendees in a side room.
Watch the graphic video below.
5. As much as I hate to post this, given how much people are talking about this story, and that it involves the pre… https://t.co/qrHZ6olP1b— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@Yashar Ali 🐘) 1571016368.0
The video sparked massive outcry after going viral on Twitter the weekend after the conference. Soon, the White House Correspondents' Association rebuked it in an official statement calling on Trump to condemn its contents:
WHCA Statement on video depicting President Trump murdering journalists. https://t.co/52lHFaQjU2— WHCA (@WHCA) 1571023437.0
"All Americans should condemn this depiction of violence directed toward journalists and the President's political opponents," the statement read. "We have previously told the President his rhetoric could incite violence."
The statement continued:
"Now we call on him and everybody associated with this conference to denounce this video and affirm that violence has no place in our society."
White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham addressed the video on Twitter, assuring that Trump hadn't seen it but would likely condemn it.
Re: the video played over the weekend: The @POTUS @realDonaldTrump has not yet seen the video, he will see it short… https://t.co/xFTcXc4vYb— Stephanie Grisham (@Stephanie Grisham) 1571055978.0
At the same time as Grisham's statement, the President was endorsing former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on Dancing with the Stars.
Vote for good guy @seanspicer tonight on Dancing With The Stars. He has always been there for us!— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1571056419.0
Soon, some of those featured in the video began speaking out.
Im depicted as being murdered by The President of the United States in this video.The left, right & center left me… https://t.co/iTPhq4NHi6— Kathy Griffin (@Kathy Griffin) 1571021702.0
Reports describing a violent video played at a Trump Campaign event in which images of reporters & @JohnMcCain are… https://t.co/0bNMfWyG1t— Cindy McCain (@Cindy McCain) 1571037941.0
As did other journalists.
I’ve said it before and I will say it again: it’s only a matter of time till a journalist is murdered by a MAGA typ… https://t.co/l5B7FO8XhQ— Mehdi Hasan (@Mehdi Hasan) 1571020831.0
Dear God something has to be done about this! This is vile and dan! @realDonaldTrump created this atmosphere. Peo… https://t.co/lQPC5xO5mb— AprilDRyan (@AprilDRyan) 1571060907.0
I can’t even find the words save for shame on every American who still supports this murderous pig. https://t.co/wiHNvk3alF— Morgan J. Freeman (@Morgan J. Freeman) 1571020926.0
This video is uniquely problematic. It can’t be captured in writing. People need to be shocked to their core, to be… https://t.co/sy4A4aczM9— Philippe Reines (@Philippe Reines) 1571028473.0
The makers of the video and tangentially Trump himself have been accused by the videos' viewers of possibly inciting violence. Trump frequently refers to the press as the "enemy of the people." Cesar Sayoc, a Trump supporter inspired by the President's rhetoric, sent multiple bombs to the President's perceived enemies last year.