The infamous video of CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta and his interaction with a White House aide who was trying to take his mic has been the topic of intense debate.
In response to what the White House has characterised as “inappropriate behaviour,” Acosta's press credentials were revoked. Sarah Sanders later shared a sped up version of the video which many have criticised as being altered to make it appear as though Acosta had put hands on the aide.
We stand by our decision to revoke this individual’s hard pass. We will not tolerate the inappropriate behavior cl… https://t.co/xLP6P2Mm9k— Kayleigh McEnany 45 Archived (@Kayleigh McEnany 45 Archived) 1541647999
White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway is the latest to wade into the debate and she told Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace the video in question wasn’t doctored or altered…it was merely “sped up.”
She said:
What do you mean by ‘edited’ or ‘doctored’ video? He either put his hands on her or grabbed the mic back or he did not and he clearly did.
Do you mean sped up? Oh, well that’s not altered, that’s sped up. They do it all the time in sports to see if there’s actually a first-down or a touchdown.
I have to disagree with the overall description of this video being doctored as if we put someone else’s arm in there.
He should have apologised to that young aide and as far as I know he has not.
I don’t like him pulling that mic back and doing on her arm – it looked like a karate chop, almost.
She’s a young aide, she’s just doing her job and if you play the full for your audience you will see the president had already answered his questions and he was moving on to the next questioner who was from NBC who was already standing ready to pose that question.
In response to Conway's comments critics have pointed out that editing a video changes it...which is literally the definition of making an alteration.
@baad_kittee @NBCNews No, Kathleen, she didn't alter it, she alternatived it, huge difference, huge. #altfacts https://t.co/fF6dwb9mZG— topo hobo (@topo hobo) 1542048565
Kellyanne Conway said the Acosta footage "wasn't altered, it's sped up," which is like saying she doesn't lie, she… https://t.co/bHEaSRCL7u— Frank Lesser (@Frank Lesser) 1541970315
@dailykos She wasn't lying, she just wasn't telling the truth. Am I right?— KaCey (@KaCey) 1542072617
Semantics is everything...
@sadmonsters I watched that press conference myself and there's a professional editors version of it on Facebook it… https://t.co/QTcK0AbZwJ— Denise L'Heureux (@Denise L'Heureux) 1542053184
People are adding that Acosta's press credentials were pulled as a direct result of the incident and how the White House are portraying it - altering the clip, even if it is merely speeding it up, still plays into that narrative.
@alynnfarrelly @GeorgeTakei Because it wasn’t a mistake. It was a deliberate attempt to lie & distort truth. It’s h… https://t.co/EA6zqb0mRv— AbbottAnne (@AbbottAnne) 1542036108
Also...
Kellyanne Conway is now on record saying the Jim Acosta video was not altered, it was merely "sped up" like they "d… https://t.co/sMTQVxAEx9— George Takei (@George Takei) 1542034830
@GeorgeTakei @john_sipher Correct what they *do* speed up is fight sequences. In film and tv. To make them more agr… https://t.co/eCZN61WliG— Claudia Black (@Claudia Black) 1542042690
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