• by Ray Schultz , October 25, 2018

The Trump campaign sent an email blasting CNN and the news media on Wednesday less than two hours after CNN was evacuated because of a suspicious package believed to be a homemade pipe bomb.

The email apparently was scheduled prior to the discovery of bombs sent to CNN, former President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Democratic contributor George Soros, Former CIA Director John Brennan, former Attorney General Eric Holder and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), but it raised eyebrows. On Thursday, it was reported that former Vice President Joe Biden and actor Robert De Niro were sent such packages.

“Here’s what CNN said,” says the fundraising email signed by Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump, according to media reports. “What do you say?”

 It continues:  “’That’s what CNN said about being at a Trump rally in Florida…

“I have some breaking news for CNN… That is the real America that exists outside of the liberal bubble.

“It’s time for us to give the media another wake-up call from the American people. The President needs you to take the Media Accountability Survey to do your part in fighting back against the fake news’ attacks and bias against hardworking Americans.”

The email also asks: “Do you trust the mainstream media to put the interests of Americans first?” Recipients are offered these choices: Yes, No, No Opinion and Other.

Washington Post media critic Erik Wemple writes:

“Correspondent (Jim Acosta) attends Trump rally. Correspondent is heckled by attendees. Correspondent captures video of the abuse. You might suppose that the Trump campaign would be embarrassed about such a situation. Not so. It fundraises off such a situation.”

According to Wemple, Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale says the email was “a pre-programmed, automated message,” and added that Trump does not condone violence.

Wemple responds: “What Parscale is saying here is that media attacks are … uh, preprogrammed and automated. No matter how circumstances may change, the Trump people try their best to undermine the public’s trust in the U.S. media.”

Meanwhile, Florida’s Republican Senator Marco Rubio sent an email on Wednesday blasting Democrats as extreme.

“Their extremism and obstruction have hijacked the Senate’s productivity for long enough, and if we do not prevent them from taking control, it will only get worse. I know this sounds overblown, but as someone who has been a recent target of Democrats’ extremism, I can assure you this is the daily reality we’re facing if we lose.”

Trump and other prominent Republicans have condemned the attempted attacks.