Sen. Marco Rubio’s communications director appeared on CNN Monday night and announced that the network’s earlier report that the Florida Republican senator’s campaign staff were advising him to withdraw from the race was “utter nonsense.”
CNN’s claim in its earlier reporting was that Rubio’s advisors were urging him to drop his presidential bid before the March 15 Florida primary to avoid the embarrassment of “getting killed in his home state.”
Some of @marcorubio‘s advisers say he should leave the race before the Florida primary https://t.co/WohwObTmB0 pic.twitter.com/fJHOV1YPND
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) March 7, 2016
The moment Rubio’s campaign spokesman Alex Conant heard that, he rushed to CNN to correct the record and blasted the network for running an “absolutely false” story without contacting the campaign for comment.
“CNN is doing a disservice to voters by doing that sort of reporting,” he told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, and asked him to “stop reading that sort of fiction on air” when Blitzer continued to press him about the earlier report.
When Blitzer noted that CNN reporter Jamie Gangel must have gotten her information from someone within the Rubio campaign organization, Conant said, “I have not talked to anybody that she spoke to.”
Watch the clip via CNN.
The earlier CNN report was based wholly on unnamed sources within the Rubio camp.
I absolutely loathe stories that feature unnamed advisers and supporters. Not one person is named in this story. https://t.co/6aSpMDqSla
— Nick Jacob (@nicktjacob) March 7, 2016
“sources say”
“some advisers”
“one source”
“sources within the campaign”
“one campaign source”Never trust this kind of reporting.
— Nick Jacob (@nicktjacob) March 7, 2016
@nicktjacob @ShariRomine Most ppl believe the old “Studies Show” line,what studies and by who is rarely questioned. its the Dumb Down USA.
— Conservatarian (@MarshallFSmith) March 8, 2016
And the timing of the report couldn’t have been worse for Rubio — eight days away from the primary and while early voting is going on.
I’m not quite buying that one week before Florida, multiple people from Rubio’s camp gave an interview to CNN to bash his chances. Sorry.
— Nick Jacob (@nicktjacob) March 7, 2016
@nicktjacob Especially not the day after a landslide primary victory.
— CROSSPATCHe (@VictorB123) March 7, 2016
@nicktjacob @Taniel according to @weeklystandard Poll Rubio Leads Trump by 25Points in FL Among Those Who Have Already Voted
— Nathalie (@Scorpia28) March 7, 2016
Rubio spox asks Wolf: How did your report air on TV without anyone reaching to us for comment?
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) March 7, 2016
Later, CNN updated its story and admitted it had based it on a single anonymous source.
@ellencarmichael they’re running as breaking news a rumor from ONE ANONYMOUS STAFFER???? This is what passes for journalism now??
— RIP Scalia (@TruthLove352) March 8, 2016
But CNN apparently decided to have its comeuppance.
@AlexConant @CNN @andersoncooper #COWARDLY
— toddstarnes (@toddstarnes) March 8, 2016
It wasn’t just shoddy journalism by CNN; you can add bully journalism to the mix also.
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