White House Communications Director Steven Cheung used offensive slurs against CNN anchor Erin Burnett on Tuesday, responding to her critical description of the administration's new "Trump TV" video stream. Cheung called Burnett "a racist and a retard" in a statement to The Daily Beast.
The exchange began when Burnett, on her "OutFront" program, compared the White House's new 24/7 YouTube channel to state television in authoritarian countries like North Korea. She noted that the channel, which debuted shortly after President Donald Trump barred CNN, Politico, and MS NOW from the White House grounds, primarily features re-airings of Trump's past remarks.
"It's a weird sort of form of state TV," Burnett stated. "I mean, right now, with everything going on, people want to rewatch his inauguration? It’s kind of reminiscent of what you would find in North Korea... and they repeatedly air Kim Jong un’s remarks again and again. It sounds familiar."
The White House TV pool was suspended by major networks after the ban on their access to the grounds. Trump's administration subsequently launched "Trump TV," which has reportedly drawn low viewership numbers. Cheung, reportedly nicknamed "Luca Brasi" by the president, has a history of making offensive remarks.