CNN Goes Birther After Anchor Calls President Obama President Muhammad

Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 06:13 pm

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CNN needs to correct the record and apologize to their viewers after anchor Michaela Pereira accidentally called Obama President Muhammad.

Video:

Transcript via CNN:

PEREIRA: All right. Here we go with the five things for Friday. No. 1, Donald Trump taking some heat for not correcting a man at a town hall in New Hampshire who called President Mohamad [SIC] Muslim and also said that the U.S. needed to get rid of Muslims. The campaign contends Mr. Trump did not hear that part of the man’s comments.

Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, warning Republicans not to shut down the federal government over Planned Parenthood funding, blasting the GOP candidates for what she calls their, quote, “hateful rhetoric and lies.”

That Muslim teen who was arrested for bringing a homemade clock to his Texas school, he’s not going back to that school. Ahmed Mohamed’s family saying he has too many painful memories so they are now looking at other schools.

I suspect this was a simple screw up, but what was she thinking? She was doing a story on Trump and his latest birther fiasco, but her timing could not have been worse.

Once again, President Obama is not a Muslim. His name is not Muhammad. Pereira has not apologized for this subconscious voyage into birtherism, but both the anchor and CNN should.

The fact that the nation has been dealing with a group of lunatic fringe Republicans who still continue to believe that President Obama was not born in the United States and is not a Christian for seven years means that when mistakes like this happen, the record must be corrected.

If CNN values factual accuracy and doesn’t want to be lumped in with the birthers, they need to make sure that their viewers understand that President Obama is not a Muslim.

Pereira’s statement was an unfortunate verbal gaffe, but it is up to the anchor and CNN to set the record straight.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association