CNN taken to the woodshed for airing 'superspreader' concert in NYC: 'Grossly irresponsible'



CNN faced heavy criticism for an exclusive live broadcast of what some people said was a "superspreader" event in the "We Love NYC: Homecoming Concert" in Central Park on Saturday.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio made the concert announcement in July when COVID-19 case counts were lower.

The concert — whose attendees were required to show proof of full vaccination — was eventually rained out due to severe weather ahead of Hurricane Henri.

What are the details?

The largely maskless crowd gathered in New York City's Central Park to listen to the likes of elite artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Andrea Bocelli, Carlos Santana, Jennifer Hudson, Barry Manilow, and more.

Clive Davis, the show's producer, lauded the planning of the big budget show, saying, "It will celebrate a spectacular range of musical genres, styles, and eras while including some of the most iconic artists in the history of music, of modern music."

Deputy press secretary Mitch Schwartz added, "[T]he Central Park concert has some of the biggest stars in history. It's a major draw and a vaccine incentive like any other."

A report from WNYW-TV stated that the Great Lawn's capacity is 60,000.

According to Fox News, social media users condemned the network for covering the event amid the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan and with continually rising COVID-19 cases across the country.

Actor Judah Friedlander shredded the network over the event, writing, "You sponsored a potential superspreader event during rising cases & hospitalizations and a potential hurricane incoming. You are grossly irresponsible."

@CNN @Citi You sponsored a potential superspreader event during rising cases & hospitalizations and a potential hur… https://t.co/TNkr5IQ3Gh

— Judah Friedlander (@JudahWorldChamp) 1629589603.0

Jason Miller, onetime senior adviser to former President Donald Trump, tweeted, "Why is CNN promoting this dangerous superspreader event in NYC?"

Why is CNN promoting this dangerous superspreader event in NYC? https://t.co/wfy3T7BJvj

— Jason Miller (@JasonMillerinDC) 1629578605.0

Matt Karolian, GM of Boston.com, tweeted, "One of the worst military debacles in a lifetime, a hurricane headed for America's largest city, and 21k people in the ICU with COVID, but sure CNN, air a concert."

Another Twitter user added, "Caught this yesterday ... Kabul is burning, but hey ... let's do a countdown for NYC concert."

"Tell me again why NYC Public Schools and Restaurants can insist on wearing masks but NYC can hold a public concert outside? Complete BS," another insisted.

Another user pointed out the hypocrisy of the allowing the concert to continue, and wrote, "This is another one of those events like Obama's birthday which is only okay during Covid because of the perspectives of those attending and the politics of the city. No masks in the shots I've seen on TV even though some of those vaccinated people may be carriers right?"

Former President Donald Trump’s blog page permanently shut down. Senior adviser says it’s a precursor to something bigger.



Former President Donald Trump's blog has been permanently shut down, according to reports — and those in his inner circle say that the move is a precursor to something even bigger than just a webpage.

Facebook and other social media networks banned the former president from their respective platforms following the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, insisting that he was guilty of inciting the violence and spreading election disinformation.

At the time of the ban, the former president reached tens of millions of followers on Twitter, and millions on Facebook alone.

What are the details?

The former president's page on DonaldTrump.com — called "From the Desk of Donald Trump" — launched in May and was designed to communicate with his supporters.

The page now, however, permits users to only submit contact information for updates from Trump's communications team.

In a statement, Trump senior adviser Jason Miller told Blaze Media, that the move was "just auxiliary to the broader efforts we have and are working on."

Miller confirmed to CNBC that the site would not be returning.

"Hoping to have more information on the broader efforts soon, but I do not have a precise awareness of timing," he added.

On Twitter, Amy Tarkanian, former Nevada GOP chair, tweeted about the news, writing, "Perhaps this is a precursor to him joining another social media platform?"

Miller responded, "Yes, actually it is. Stay tuned!"

Yes, actually, it is. Stay tuned! https://t.co/USKGvVXe2f

— Jason Miller (@JasonMillerinDC) 1622646553.0

Ahead of the blog's May release, Miller tweeted, "President Trump's website is a great resource to find his latest statements and highlights from his first term in office, but this is not a new social media platform. We'll have additional information coming on that front in the very near future."

In May, the Wall Street Journal reported that the former president was in discussions with platforms such as CloutHub and FreeSpace to host a new social media-type platform for him and his followers.

Trump backs challenger to Georgia's GOP secretary of state



Former President Donald Trump has endorsed a challenger to take on Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a fellow Republican who has steadfastly insisted his state conducted a clean and fair general election despite Trump's insistence that the election was stolen from him.

What are the details?

Trump issued a statement endorsing Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.) in his bid to unseat Raffensperger, writing that Hice "has been a steadfast fighter for conservative Georgia values and is a staunch ally of the America First agenda."

"Unlike the current Georgia Secretary of State," the former president's statement read, "Jody leads out front with integrity."

As @JasonMillerinDC teased yesterday, here is former President Trump’s endorsement of @JodyHice for Georgia Secreta… https://t.co/3PNS7yrTlK
— Mike Emanuel 🇺🇸 (@Mike Emanuel 🇺🇸)1616421272.0

Hice came out swinging against Raffensperger in a statement announcing his candidacy Monday, saying that "[w]hat Brad Raffensperger did was create cracks in the integrity of our elections, which I wholeheartedly believe individuals took advantage of in 2020."

He added, "Every Georgian, in fact every American, has the right to be outraged by the actions and, simultaneously, the inaction of our Secretary of State."

Raffensperger hit back in a statement to ABC News, saying in reaction to Hice's challenge:

"Few have done more to cynically undermine faith in our election than Jody Hice. We saw in January what Georgia voters will do to candidates who use that rhetoric. His recklessness is matched by his fecklessness as a congressman. Georgia Republicans seeking a candidate who's accomplished nothing, now have one."

Raffensperger was referring to the Georgia Senate runoffs on Jan. 5, where two Republican incumbents lost to Democratic challengers as pro-Trump attorneys Lin Wood and Sidney Powell urged conservatives to boycott the election. The outcome put the U.S. Senate in Democratic control.

NBC News reported:

Hice objected to Georgia's electoral vote being counted on Jan. 6, even after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, delaying the vote count. In a since-deleted Instagram post on the morning of Jan. 6, Hice wrote, "This is our 1776 moment."

A spokeswoman for Hice told the Journal-Constitution the next day that the post was "our way of highlighting the electoral objection," and they removed it "when we realized it could be misconstrued as supporting those acting violently yesterday and storming the Capitol."

What's the background?

Raffensperger and other Georgia Republican officials — including Gov. Brian Kemp — fell under attack from Trump after the secretary of state "rejected pressure from Mr. Trump to overturn the state's results and certified President [Joe] Biden as the winner of the presidential race after a hand recount," CBS News reported.

The feud between Trump and Raffensperger was ratcheted up to a new level after a leaked recording of a Jan. 2 phone call between the two was released by The Washington Post. During the conversation, Trump urged the secretary of state "to find 11,780 votes, which is more than we have. Because we won the state."

Raffensperger's office revealed last month that it had launched an investigation into the call, which critics of the former president say shows he was illegally trying to change the results of the election.

Trump disputes that claim, and has repeatedly accused Raffensperger of circumventing the state legislature by signing a consent decree with Democratic groups regarding signature matching in the state.

The former president says the decree "should be deemed invalid, and the election result changed."

Gabriel Sterling, another Republican and Raffensperger's voting systems implementation manager, says all the consent decree did was "send out an 'official election bulletin,' telling people, 'hey follow our rules and how we already do a signature match.'"

According to WXIA-TV, Sterling argues "the only substantive change in policy — a policy subject to the discretion of the Secretary of State's Office — was how people should be given notice if their ballot was rejected."

Donald Trump returning to social media within 3 months on his own platform to 'redefine the game': top aide



Former President Donald Trump will return to social media in a few months, but it won't be on an existing platform. Trump will instead create "his own platform" that will "completely redefine the game," according to one of his top aides.

In Trump's final month as president, Twitter permanently banned him for tweets that were deemed as "incitement of violence" in relation to the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol building by Trump supporters. Trump was then suspended from Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitch, and Shopify.

Trump has been relatively quiet since he was banished from the largest social media platforms. What few communications Trump has delivered since Jan. 20 have been statements released through his "Office of the Former President" in Palm Beach County, Florida.

Jason Miller, a former spokesman and senior adviser for Trump's campaign, teased how and when the 45th president would return to social media. Speaking to Fox News' "Media Buzz," Miller proclaimed that Trump will return to social media on his own platform.

"I do think we're going to see President Trump returning to social media in probably about two or three months here with his own platform," Miller teased. "This is something that I think will be the hottest ticket in social media."

"It's going to completely redefine the game, and everybody is going to be waiting and watching to see what exactly President Trump does, but it will be his own platform," Miller told host Howard Kurtz.

Miller did not provide specifics as to the new social media platform or even the name of the project, but he said that Trump has been holding "a lot of high-powered meetings" at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Miller added that "numerous companies" have approached Trump regarding the potential venture.

"This new platform is going to be big," Miller proclaimed. "Everyone wants him and he's going to bring millions and millions — tens of millions — to this platform."

Based on social media comments, the early favorite for the name of Trump's social media platform is "Trumpet."

BREAKING: Trump Senior Adviser @JasonMillerinDC says President Trump will likely return to social media in 2-3 mont… https://t.co/6YY3TCgimf
— Benny (@Benny)1616346393.0

Miller then pivoted to a new endorsement that Trump will make on Monday.

"Pay attention to Georgia tomorrow, on Monday," Miller said. "There's a big endorsement that's coming that's going to really shake things up in the political landscape in Georgia. It's big, it's coming tomorrow, and just be sure to tune in."

Two weeks ago, Trump urged former football great turned political commentator Herschel Walker to run for the U.S. Senate against Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock (Ga.).

"Wouldn't it be fantastic if the legendary Herschel Walker ran for the United States Senate in Georgia?" Trump said in a statement issued by his super PAC. "He would be unstoppable, just like he was when he played for the Georgia Bulldogs, and in the NFL. He is also a GREAT person. Run Herschel, run!"

Earlier this month, Trump publicly voiced his support for South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) and Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo (R), who are both running for re-election. Trump also endorsed Arkansas Lieutenant Governor Tim Griffin (R), who is running to be the state's attorney general.