CNN Reporter Criticized Over Insensitive Tweet About Mitch McConnell, Who Survived Polio

President Donald Trump listens to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R–Ky.) speak to the media in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC, on Oct. 16, 2017. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

A CNN political reporter mocked a Republican politician—oblivious to the fact that he had survived polio.

Daniella Diaz posted a tweet on Monday, Oct. 16, pointing out that President Donald Trump and Sen. Mitch McConnell locked hands while walking upstairs at the White House after their Rose Garden press conference.

According to Fox News, Diaz seemed to be mocking the Republican duo, while her followers quickly pointed out that the Kentucky senator is a polio survivor. Trump was providing support for McConnell to go up the steps.

“That hand-lock between Trump and McConnell, though,” Diaz wrote with video footage of the scene.

The tweet still remained on her feed as of Wednesday, Oct. 18.

Under Diaz’s tweet, a CNN colleague called her out and explained why they locked hands.

“McConnell is a polio survivor, a reason why stairs can be tricky at times,” CNN’s Senior Congressional Correspondent Manu Raju wrote. “McConnell often goes up a step at a time, sometimes needs railing for assistance. This time, used Trump for balance.”

Many Twitter users commented under Diaz’s post, calling for her to delete it and criticizing the CNN reporter for her message.

“You’re making fun of the President of the United States helping a polio survivor that stumbled. Stay classy CNN, stay classy,” one user responded.

McConnell himself explained his medical situation back in 1990 when he was in a campaign advertisement when running for re-election in Kentucky, Fox News reported.

“When I was a child and my dad was in World War II, I got polio. I recovered, but my family almost went broke,” McConnell explained.

According to the CDC, Polio is a “crippling and potentially deadly infectious disease.” The virus can spread from person to person and also can invade an infected person’s brain and spinal cord, causing paralysis in some parts of the body.

“So very cheap and sleazy journalism -- if it even could be called journalism just a hate post,” another user wrote.

A former journalist, according to their Twitter bio criticized Diaz and said that polio “isn’t funny.”

Another user blasted Diaz in his response.

Political bias by reporters in major media outlets has been an increasing problem and a cause for distrust in readers. The New York Times recently updated it’s social media policies in response to an undercover operation, exposing blatant anti-Trump bias by its employee.

From NTD.tv