President Trump retweets an image of CNN being run over by the 'Trump train' - three days after woman is mowed down and killed by a white supremacist's car in Charlottesville

  • President Trump tweeted - and then deleted - a tweet showing 'CNN,' attached to a pair of human legs, being crushed by a 'Trump train' 
  • Twitter users quickly pointed out that bad optics, as the tweet comes just three days after a woman was killed by a car driven by a Nazi sympathizer 
  • Trump has been under fire for his response to the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, with many saying he didn't condemn the hate groups strongly enough  

By NIKKI SCHWAB, U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Published: | Updated:

President Trump retweeted an image Tuesday morning of 'CNN' being run over by 'the Trump train,' just three days after a woman was mowed down and killed in Charlottesville by a car driven by a white supremacist.  

A Trump supporter had tweeted out the image of the CNN logo, attached to a set of legs, being crushed by a train, labeling it, 'Fake news can't stop the Trump train.' 

The president briefly retweeted the image, but then deleted it shortly thereafter. 

'It was inadvertently posted and as soon [as] it was noticed it was immediately deleted,' a White House official told reporters Tuesday.

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President Trump, seen listening to a question Monday posed by CNN's Jim Acosta, retweeted an image Tuesday of the network being run over by a train 

President Trump, seen listening to a question Monday posed by CNN's Jim Acosta, retweeted an image Tuesday of the network being run over by a train 

President Trump briefly retweeted this image - and then deleted it - of 'CNN,' attached to a pair of human legs being crushed by the oncoming 'Trump train.' Twitter users connected the imagery with the woman killed by a white supremacist's car in Charlottesville 

President Trump briefly retweeted this image - and then deleted it - of 'CNN,' attached to a pair of human legs being crushed by the oncoming 'Trump train.' Twitter users connected the imagery with the woman killed by a white supremacist's car in Charlottesville 

The optics of Trump's retweet prompted a quick outcry on the social medium, with many users connecting the visuals used in the image with the death of 32-year-old Heather Heyer in Charlottesville on Saturday. 

Heyer had been demonstrating against the neo-Nazis, KKK members and white supremacists who had taken over the Virginia town to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. 

She was killed, while 19 others were injured, when 20-year-old Nazi sympathizer James Fields allegedly drove his Dodge Charger through the crowd, sending counter-protesters flying. 

Fields has been charged with second degree murder.  

Tuesday morning's retweet marks Trump's latest misstep in his handling of the Charlottesville situation. 

Trump was widely criticized for not calling out KKK members, neo-Nazis and white supremacists by name, something he finally did yesterday, making a brief statement at the White House. 

On Saturday, the president had initially condemned the violence 'on many sides,' which was interpreted to mean that he equated the white supremacists wreaking havoc on Charlottesville with those who came to the town to march against the hate groups. 

President Trump was asked by CNN's Jim Acosta why it took so long for him to condemn the hate groups by name in the wake of the Charlottesville violence, which left one counter-protester dead.
Trump then called CNN 'fake news'

President Trump was asked by CNN's Jim Acosta why it took so long for him to condemn the hate groups by name in the wake of the Charlottesville violence, which left one counter-protester dead. Trump then called CNN 'fake news' 

By Sunday, the White House was forced to update the statement, using a quote from an unnamed White House spokesperson. 

'The President said very strongly in his statement yesterday that he condemns all forms of violence, bigotry, and hatred,' the spokesperson said. 'Of course that includes white supremacists, KKK, Neo-Nazi and all extremist groups.'  

CNN's Jim Acosta (pictured) tussled with the president on Monday, with the president calling Acosta's network 'fake news' 

CNN's Jim Acosta (pictured) tussled with the president on Monday, with the president calling Acosta's network 'fake news' 

On Monday, Trump said the words himself. 

'Racism is evil,' Trump said. 'And those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans.' 

At a White House event later Wedneday afternoon, CNN's Jim Acosta confronted Trump and asked him what took so long. 

'Can you explain why you did not condemn those hate groups by name over the weekend?' the reporter asked.  

Trump looked directly into the camera and responded, 'They've been condemned. They have been condemned.'  

Acosta followed up by asking why the president didn't have a press conference on Monday. 

'You said on Friday that we'd have a press conference,' Acosta said. 

Trump suggested that his brief statement to reporters, in which he took no questions, counted.  

 'We had a press conference. We just had a conference,' Trump replied.  

Acosta then asked if the reporters in the room could ask the president more questions. 

'Doesn't bother me at all,' Trump said, smiling. 'But you know, I like real news, not fake news. You're fake news.' 

'Thank you everybody,' Trump said, cuing the reporters to vacate the room. 

'Haven't you spread a lot of fake news yourself, sir?' Acosta muttered as he was being led out.   

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