CNN anchor Dana Bash declined to read a portion of a Truth Social post from President Donald Trump on Tuesday during a segment of Inside Politics, skipping over a direct criticism of her own network, as reported by The New York Post.
The post from President Trump urged Republicans to support his proposed $9 billion rescission package currently under consideration in the U.S. Senate. The bill includes more than $1 billion in cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which funds NPR and PBS.
In the post, Trump called for defunding both outlets and stated:
“It is very important that all Republicans adhere to my Recissions [sic] Bill and, in particular, DEFUND THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING (PBS and NPR), which is worse than CNN & MSDNC put together.”
While reading the statement aloud during her show, Bash omitted the portion that compared PBS and NPR unfavorably to CNN and MSNBC. Instead, she paused and said, “I’m not even going to read that,” and continued on with the rest of the quote.
The Senate is currently considering Trump’s rescission bill, which aims to reduce government spending by cutting funding to multiple federal agencies and programs, including CPB.
The administration has criticized NPR and PBS for years, alleging partisan bias and misuse of taxpayer dollars.
In May, Trump signed an executive order directing a reduction in public funds allocated to both NPR and PBS, stating that federal dollars should not support what he called “left-wing propaganda platforms.”
Trump has also maintained a contentious relationship with CNN and its leadership, frequently targeting the network over what he has characterized as inaccurate and politically motivated coverage.
During a press event in February, Trump said, “Nobody watches CNN anymore, because they have no credibility.”
Earlier this month, Trump revealed that he and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem were exploring legal options related to CNN’s reporting on an app allegedly used to track Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
He also accused the network of misreporting the outcome of U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Dana Bash, a longtime anchor and correspondent at CNN, responded on air to past comments from the president.
Following Trump’s April statement that CNN “hates our country,” Bash replied, “CNN does not hate our country. That should go without saying. I’ve been here for 32 years.”
As debate over Trump’s proposed spending cuts continues, so does the broader battle between the administration and several mainstream media outlets. A final Senate vote on the rescission bill is expected in the coming days.
