CNN host Brian Stelter has been slammed for tweeting a claim that the 'real leaders' of 9/11 were news anchormen - and adding that 'political leaders were in bunkers or out of sight'.
Stelter tweeted a quote from an article written by AP writer David Bauder, saying: 'Network TV anchors were the closest thing that America had to national leaders on 9/11. They were the moral authority on that first day'.
He then added, 'especially with political leaders in bunkers or otherwise out of sight'.
DailyMail.com columnist and former host of The View, Meghan McCain was one of the first to criticize Stelter, saying: 'I don't know what this is even designed to mean other than to be incendiary on a dark anniversary'.
'First responders led & ran into danger and died. Mayor Giuliani, Hillary Clinton, George Pataki, President Bush, Chuck Schumer.... there were many real leaders leading us,' McCain tweeted in response to Stelter's initial tweet.
On Saturday, the former View host took to Twitter to criticize CNN host, Brian Stelter, after he tweeted a quote from an Associated Press piece, claiming that network TV anchors were 'the closest thing that America had to national leaders on 9/11'
In the AP article, which pays tribute to anchors Tom Brokaw of NBC News, Peter Jennings of ABC and Dan Rather of CBS, the Garrett Graff, the author of 'The Only Plane in the Sky' writes taht they 'were the closest thing that America had to national leaders on 9/11'.
'They were the moral authority for the country on that first day, fulfilling a very historical role of basically counseling the country through this tragedy at a moment its political leadership was largely silent and largely absent from the conversation.'
Smoke billows from the World Trade Center's twin towers after they were struck by commerical airliners in a suspected terrorist attack September 11, 2001 in New York City
A police scooter sits in the rubble in lower Manhattan 11 September, 2001, in New York after two planes flew into the World Trade Center twin towers
'Clearly, however, the prospect of another plane hitting the second building was beyond the contemplation of anyone giving advice. According to one of the first fire chiefs to arrive, such a scenario was unimaginable, "beyond our consciousness,"' according to the report.
In this file photo taken on September 11, 2001, a police officer (R) and others walk in streets covered in debris following the collapse of the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City
Stelter's tweet was met with a furious response, with Twitter users reminding him that the true heroes and leaders of 9/11 were the firefighters, police officers and paramedics.
Stelter responded to the backlash in a follow-up tweet, writing that he merely quoted the piece he shared.
'I remember,' Stelter said. 'Please send your objections to the author of the story or the person he quoted.'
However, several social media users ignored Stelter's response, adding that the host included own input to the tweet.
'You added your take outside the quotes!' the Media Research Center's Nicholas Fondacaro responded. 'Also, you shared it. So at some level you liked it and agreed with it. You didn't offer criticism, so what other deduction is there? Stop playing these stupid games Brian. We all know what you're doing.'
Other users chose to remind Stelter that former President George W. Bush acted as true leader in response to the attacks instead of TV anchors.
'That day I remember President Bush’s speech to the nation from the Oval Office. That is where leadership come from. Not the news anchors,' Chris Miller wrote.
The attacks on 9/11 immediately altered the course of history for nation.
When the commercial plane hit the North Tower at 8:46 a.m., it was unclear at first what had just happened in Lower Manhattan.
But it was clear to first responders that people needed help. Cops, firefighters – some had witnessed the surreal moment in the sky – rushed to the World Trade Center complex. Thick black smoke was already pouring out of the burning building.
U.S. President George W. Bush listens as White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card informs him of a second plane hitting the World Trade Center while Bush was conducting a reading seminar at the Emma E. Booker Elementary School, in Sarasota, Florida, September 11, 2001
In this file photo taken on September 10, 2001, a man with a fire extinguisher walks through rubble after the collapse of the first World Trade Center Tower in New York City
In this file photo taken on September 10, 2001, the twin towers of the World Trade Center billow smoke after hijacked airliners crashed into them
After the Twin Towers collapsed that morning, as soon as it was possible, thousands of NYPD, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, doctors, paramedics, construction workers, volunteers and others started searching for survivors – some accounts have people using their hands to dig.
Elevators were out. Firefighters climbed the stairs of the 110-story tower to figure out what was happening on its upper floors to report back. 911 operators tried to keep people calm as wave after wave of calls rolled in.
It was unthinkable that the skyscraper and its twin, which for so long had been a fixture of the New York City skyline, would completely collapse.
First responders were trying to get a grip on the crisis when another plane struck the South Tower at 9:03 a.m.
At 9:37 a.m., a third plane ripped a hole into the Pentagon near Washington, D.C.
Minutes earlier, four men had hijacked flight 93 and rerouted it from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. – their target was believed to be the White House or the U.S. Capitol. Forced to the back of the plane, passengers and crew called family and friends who told them America was under attack. Understanding what was at stake and that their lives were in peril, they bravely fought to get inside the cockpit. In response, the hijackers downed the plane in a Pennsylvania field.
The South Tower fell at 9:59 a.m. The North buckled at 10:28 a.m.
Nearly 3,000 people died.
The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 unfolded in 102 minutes, with the war on terror beginning that October.
No comments:
Post a Comment