Did CNN air a digitally altered image of Donald Trump and Laura Loomer? Media outlet's apology explained

On September 20 and 21, 2024, CNN aired images of Donald Trump and Laura Loomer flying together as Trump traveled for his Presidential debate. The pictures, which were used in various segments on the news network, were later revealed to be photoshopped.

The network apologized on air on Thursday, September 26. The apology statement, read by a female host, said:

"On Friday evening and on Saturday, CNN aired a number of segments that briefly showed an image of former President Donald Trump and Laura Loomer taken from social media. On review, this image had been digitally altered by a third party and should not have been included. We regret the error."

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Laura Loomer threatened CNN's Anderson Cooper to issue a written retraction

CNN's confession about the aired images of Donald Trump and Laura Loomer being "digitally altered" arrived within a week of the incident. However, the investigative journalist was reportedly unsatisfied with the network's statement.

Later, on Thursday, Loomer mentioned Anderson Cooper, the anchor on Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN, in her tweet. She called him a "coward" for not apologizing for his "defamation" himself and sending a female colleague to do the job instead.

Laura Loomer went on to call his stunt of airing fake pictures an attempt at a "sick, misogynistic, and defamatory attack" against her. She then asked Cooper to issue a written retraction on X, threatening to sue him if he didn't. Loomer ended her tweet with:

"It's time for you fake news freaks to be held accountable for your lies and deception."

Besides Cooper, Loomer also said she would sue Bill Maher, the political commentator on HBO, in her tweet.

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CNN accused Laura Loomer of spreading a 9/11 conspiracy theory earlier this month

This incident was not the first time occurence, as the network has issued repeated attacks on her. Earlier, on September 12, CNN covered an article on Trump's meeting with the firefighters on the 9/11 anniversary. In the article, Loomer was referred to as a "far-right provocateur" with a questionable "sway" on Trump.

It also recalled a year-old X incident, where the journalist posted a video on 9/11, claiming that it was an "insider job" - a conspiracy theory that "haunted the families of victims and survivors" - according to CNN. The news network also noted how Loomer's alleged anti-Muslim social media posts earned her a Twitter ban, with her account being restored after Elon Musk bought the platform.

Following the Patriot Day events, the news outlet also reached out to one of Trump's campaign officials for a comment on why Loomer had joined him on his travels, which was declined.

When Loomer was interviewed separately over a call, she said to the news network:

"I don't understand what the issue is about me going to a 9/11 memorial. In fact, the people who greeted President Trump at the memorial were very happy to see me, and they said, 'Thank you for coming.'"

The news outlet also commented about Laura's proximity with Trump in the article, claiming to know from a source that the journalist had his personal phone number, which she allegedly utilized. The article established that Loomer's influence on Trump and his presidential campaign was significant, which the journalist has reportedly perceived as an attack on her.

The article, followed by fake images aired on the network to cement theories of her influence, led Loomer to hit back and demand a written retraction.

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While Cooper is yet to respond to Laura's tweet, whether or not a written retraction is posted on the social media platform remains to be seen.