CNN’s Jim Acosta Shocked By ‘Horrifying Violent’ Trump Video Of Tied-Up Biden In Trunk — Poses ‘Security Risk’

CNN anchor Jim Acosta was shocked by a “horrifying violent” video posted by former President Donald Trump that he warned could pose a “security risk” to President Joe Biden, who is depicted tied up in the back of a pickup truck.

Over the weekend, Trump put up a video that showed the offending graphic on the tailgate of a pickup truck, part of an intense barrage of social media posts that drew outrage and criticism.

On Monday’s edition of CNN Newsroom, Acosta — who is never shy about calling out what he sees as Trump’s “extreme” rhetoric — tore Republicans and Trump apart over a string of violent expressions, and called the truck video a “security risk.”

He then asked authoritarian expert Ruth Ben-Ghiat if she thinks the video could “spark some kind of violence”:

JIM ACOSTA: We begin with new questions about Donald Trump’s extreme rhetoric. Perhaps the biggest question of them all: Will Trump face any accountability? And will Republican leaders call him out after the former president shared a video on social media that could pose a security risk for President Biden?

Here’s that horrific video posted by Trump showing the president hogtied in the back of a pickup truck. Over the weekend, Biden and Trump offered distinctly different Easter messages. The President calling for peace, security, and dignity for people around the world.

As for Trump, he wished a happy Easter to those he, quote, “totally despises” in the quote, “failing nation,” end quote, that he hopes to lead. He reshared articles suggesting he is a modern day Jesus who is being crucified, and he accused the president of a, quote, “years-long assault on the Christian faith.” The president, of course, is a devout Catholic.

This week [Trump’s] pledging to address, quote, “Biden’s border bloodbath” — putting a lot of these in quotes just to make sure you understand this is Trump’s rhetoric. This just 11 days after insisting that that rhetoric was exclusively about the economic consequences of a Biden victory.

…You know, when we talk about Trump sharing this violent video of the president, President Biden hogtied in the bed of a pickup truck, you know, we saw the consequences of his words on January 6th. How concerned are you about this kind of stuff sparking some kind of violence? What do you think?

RUTH BEN-GHIAT: I’m very concerned. And, it’s, you know, when you work on coups and authoritarian takeovers, you look at this a bit differently. It’s not just a joke. The fact it’s a life size image, it’s really performing, you know, a work of imagination for Americans. Because a sitting president of the United States who’s hogtied as though he’s some kind of hostage, this implies, shall we say, not a democratic transition of power, but something, a bad end that is happening to the sitting president of the United States. And when it’s shared on social media by somebody who already tried to overthrow the government, then of course, that is that is extremely serious. And, and, and bespeaks, a very, you know, an intent to continue to incite violence against, anyone who’s trying to hold him accountable. But now also, the president of the United States.

JIM ACOSTA: Right. And typically, I mean, when if somebody out there just in the general public where to share an image like this, that they might expect a visit from the United States Secret Service, but now it just seems that this kind of violent imagery, this kind of dangerous political rhetoric has become so commonplace, it makes you wonder what the authorities do with this kind of stuff.

RUTH BEN-GHIAT: I share those concerns. And, you know, it’s very important to strike back at and hold people accountable. And especially someone like Trump who has a history of this in 2023. He posted an image of himself, a baseball bat, and the Manhattan D.A., Alvin Bragg, who was trying to hold him accountable. And, you know, he he doesn’t have to explicitly say, please go bash the head of this this, you know, prosecutor, this member of the judiciary trying to uphold the rule of law. He just posts the images together. And so he’s a very skilled propagandist, and he knows what his followers will, will do with this. But this is not isolated. It’s not just him. The Kansas GOP recently held a fundraiser and invited donors as a reward for giving money to, be able to bash, an assault, an effigy of Biden with sticks. And, you know, the official party distanced itself, but it still happened. And it had lots of takers. So there’s been this attempt to delegitimize and discredit and incite violence against judges, their families. But now we’re seeing it arrive up to the sitting president of the United States.

Watch above via CNN’s CNN Newsroom.