Black Republican Strategist Hits Back After CNN's Brian Stelter Runs Smear Piece

Published: 7/29/2019, 10:12:44 AM EDT

Black Republican Strategist Hits Back After CNN's Brian Stelter Runs Smear Piece — Republican strategist Kimberly Klacik, left, in a July 27, 2019, picture. On right, CNN media reporter Brian Stelter in a file photo. (Kimberly Klacik/Twitter; Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for CNN)

A female black Republican strategist hit back after the openly anti-Trump CNN network ran a smear piece against her.

Kimberly Klacik appeared on "Fox & Friends" on July 27 to share video footage of conditions in the Baltimore part of Rep. Elijah Cummings' (D-Md.) district after Cummings had lashed out at acting Homeland Security chief Kevin McAleenan for saying his department was doing its “level best” in handling the humanitarian crisis at the border.

President Donald Trump, who was watching the show, began to target Cummings over the district and has continued the attacks into July 29.

The next day, CNN media reporter Brian Stelter ran a segment smearing Klacik, making what appeared to be a false claim about her and alleging her representation of the district was because she "wants to support Trump and tear down Cummings." He called it "distorted information."

Stelter also said that Klacik was "thrilled" that Trump saw her work and said the attacks against Cummings had "clearly racist connotations" while calling Trump tweets definitively "racist." It wasn't clear what criteria he was using to label them.

The reporter later said Klacik declined to appear on air and told him "she was just trying to help Baltimore."

"She certainly helped somebody," Stelter said. "She helped Trump."

Stelter's piece lacked a rebuttal to the footage Klacik shared showing some residents' dissatisfaction with Cummings and piles of trash near and around homes, some of which were clearly abandoned. He also did not mention years of stories about Baltimore's problems with rodent infestations or the city's murder rate, which is one of the highest in the nation.

Klacik responded late Sunday, writing on Twitter that Stelter appeared to be making some facts up after she declined to provide answers to him.

"Dear @CNN watchers, @brianstelter's segment about me was completely fake news," she wrote.

"I won my election, I currently serve in Baltimore County. Also, I have worked on 2 campaigns. I guess since I didn't respond to his emailed questions he filled in the answers himself."

Earlier in the day, Klacik said she had received emails, calls, and texts informing her that a media outlet was preparing a "hit piece" against her.

"If this is the Left's attempt to silence me, it only makes me want to fight harder for what is right. Intimidating a black woman just for speaking out? Actual racism," she wrote. On Saturday, she said she was disappointed that there was going to be a hit piece against her: "Residents asked if I could help get the trash removed. I filmed it, posted it. You would think people would be upset that their brothers & sisters are living in those conditions."

Stelter had not responded to Klacik's allegations as of Monday morning. He sent out a link to his newsletter multiple times. The newsletter included one piece of updated information and a smear of Klacik.

"Yes, there are struggling, severely impoverished neighborhoods in Baltimore. But the takeaway from the segment was that Cummings' entire district was a disaster zone, which is a disgusting lie," Stelter wrote.

He also added that his original information indicated that Klacik had lost in her race for a local Republican position last year but that she'd actually won. "We've corrected that in the story," Stelter added without an apology.

CNN has been struggling with declining ratings for years and is well behind Fox, which its hosts often attack. In the latest ratings report, CNN finished 15th out of all cable networks while Fox boasted four of the top five shows.